iVisit Sinful Delights
by experimentalgirl17
Summary: First I would highly recommend you read iDon't Believe in Monsters first or this story will be hard to grasp. Sam, in her twenties now, is once again facing another nightmare...but this time the nightmare may be Carly, the vampire she loves
1. Chapter 1

_**I decided to try another story continued from iDon't Believe in Monsters. It is not really a sequel so to speak but more just a continuation of their lives. It takes place a little over a year from the epilogue from the previous story. There will be Sam and Carly of course, some old familiar faces, and some new faces as well as some new enemies and monsters.**_

_**I decided to write this one from the first person strictly from Sam's point of view because she is the main character. I will confess I am not used to writing from the first person so I hope I get it right. If people like it I will continue the story but here is the first chapter to get a taste.**_

_**Please keep in mind this is not Buffy at all. Sam is not some girl destined by mystical forces to save the world from vampires and evil. She does have some powers as the previous story mentioned and they will some to light in this story but she is just a girl doing her a job. In my world for them Vampires, lycanthropes, and other supernatural creatures as well as other magic is not only real it also became outed as the previous story's epilogue mentioned and vampires, lycanthropes and others are actually legal and citizens of the USA with rights and laws. The story will touch on that so don't worry about any confusion…please enjoy.**_

_**I would like to dedicate the story to **__**nshi Raidon**__** , **__**inuyouko**__** and **__**SilverDragonRanger09**__** for all their reviews and support of the original story…thanks guys!**_

**iVisit Sinful Delights **

I woke with the sound of the phone ringing and decided to let the answer machine get it as I looked at the clock and saw it was just a little after six in the morning. It was Sunday and I did not have to get up until nine to make it to the eleven o'clock church service. Yeah I go to church almost every Sunday when I can. I'm Episcopalian. You see the shit I have seen and saw what faith could do you'd go to church too. I was raised Catholic but never practiced and when I decided to start attending church when I was seventeen as much as my time allowed on Sunday's I did go to Mass with my mom. But after vamps and things and magic became outed the Church decreed any one who dabbled in such magic was to be excommunicated and well that was me so I switched to Episcopalian. They were more tolerating with me and my life.

"Are you going to get that?" The voice in my bed said.

"No let the machine get it." I said and smuggled close to the warm body next to me when I heard the machine click on after the fourth ring.

"Sam…I know you're home. Pick up. It's Henry." The male voice said.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I jumped out of the bed and ran to the living room of my two bedroom apartment to grab the phone in that room. I did not want this conversation being over heard…hell I did not want this conversation at all truth be told. I had no idea what it was going to be about, but with Henry on the other side of it I wanted no part of it.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"I know. I need some information." Henry said. Ok right then I swear my heart dropped to my ankles.

"About?" I asked trying to sound unafraid and prayed it worked.

"See you in an hour. Tell lover boy to hit the road for a while." Henry said in his cold calculating voice that made me shiver.

"Yeah…ok." I then try another approach with him, "So when he does come back does he need to bring a body bag?" Honesty works right?

Henry laughed and it made me relax a little…just a little. "I swear you are the only person who can make me truly laugh. No…no body bags today. I will bring donuts through."

"Ok…I like jelly filled…raspberry ones with the white powdered sugar. Hey, Henry…an hour away…how did you know about lover boy?"

"I never said I was an hour away, Sam, I said I would see you in an hour. I figured I would give you time for a morning quickie. One hour." Henry said and the other line went dead. Well I do like morning sex…not that he would truly know…but after talking to Henry sex was the last thing on my mind. Survival came first.

I placed the phone back on the charger and thought of Henry. I had not seen or heard from him in almost two years. The last time was when I helped him with a little problem when I owed him a favor. Owing Henry a favor was a good way to get your ass killed when he called in his marker. See he helped me out years ago when I was seventeen almost eighteen. I had a minor problem with a three thousand year old vampire bitch by the name of Cassandra. She was one scary bitch let me tell you. Henry helped me kill her and even trained me on how to kill vampires, use a gun, and survive…not your typical teenage girl things I know but hell it kept me alive so far. Well the last time I saw him was when he called in his marker and I had to repay him. I did and almost got my ass killed as we took down some heavy duty vampires in Texas. I still have a terrible scar that starts at my left shoulder and runs down to the center of my back where one of the vampires chewed on me like a dog. I used to think of Henry as a surrogate father and still consider him a friend. I knew if I really needed him he would come watch my back and he knew and I would go watch his.

So why did Henry's call upset me so much if he helped me and I helped him and thought if him as a friend. Henry was a contract killer who specialized in the supernatural when killing humans got too easy for him. He specialized in monsters…vampires, shapeshifters, anything and everything. He still did humans on occasion but only the ones with dangerous reputations and who could give him a challenge. Other assassins, criminals, bad people, men, or women, He is an equal opportunity killer if the price and the challenge was right. There are some people like me who did it legal but Henry did not sweat the legalities or hell…the ethics. I may be one of the few friends he has but being his friend is like being friends with a tame tiger. He will play and even cuddle at your feet but you truly never can tell when he will turn on you and eat your throat out. Henry is the most dangerous human I know and calls like this one scare me. Even a lot of the monsters were afraid of Henry. They called him the Grim Reaper…The Reaper for short…the bringer of death. Me they just called the Executioner.

Why did his call scare me? Simple, Henry never called to say hello to chit chat…he only called when he needed something and today that something was information. Yeah if I had it I would give it to him…if I could. If it was something that would harm me or mine then I couldn't give it to him. No big deal right? I wish…If I knew what he wanted and could not give it to him he would torture me to get it…very simple. Oh it may make him sad to do it…but he would do it regardless. Why would he come to me for information you may ask?

Well my name is Samantha (Sam I prefer) Puckett and I know more about the monsters in this area than the average person. I am the legal and licensed vampire executioner for the state of Washington…and three other states. That means I get to kill them legally. I can't just go around staking vampires in the heart because I just feel like it through; that would be just murder…well to the police and the judicial system…me I don't feel that way. I need a court order of execution to do the deed. Vampires and other supernatural creatures are legal citizens in the good ole U.S. of A. after they were outed almost five years ago. They own businesses and can go out in public and do anything we humans can do…oh that can't vote through. They also have to obey the law and they have a lot they have to obey made special for them. A vampire cannot use their mind tricks to mesmerize a human to feed or to seduce, they can't feed off the unwilling (there are a lot of deluded people who willing let themselves be dinner for them), when they feed they can't drain a person to where they die, they can't feed or turn anyone under eighteen or against their will, and some other ones. They break those laws and that is where I come in. I get the order of execution and hunt them down and kill them. I have never had to wait more than an hour after the charges for an order. They may be citizens but most people are still afraid of them. Even for the smallest offense like vamping some poor person just for a kiss and they have signed their death warrant…fair? Maybe not but last year in California there was a case of a vampire who used his mind tricks on his human girlfriend's parents to give him permission to date their daughter (who was nineteen). Well when mom and dad recovered they reported him and he was arrested. The courts decided since it was a minor offense they would just give him some jail time and not kill him. What they did not know was he was over a hundred years old and when he escaped he killed seven correctional officers and three county sheriffs. So fair or not, legal or not, citizens or not…they are still monsters. So when they misbehave and are naughty I go after them. Now between just us…yeah I have killed them illegally when I had to but I keep that secret. But I am not like Henry…I don't hunt them for money or just the challenge or the pleasure of the kill. I don't have any qualms about killing if I have to too protect me and mine whether it is human or monster but never for money or pleasure.

"Sam, who's Henry?" A male voice asks behind me and as I turn he tosses me a robe. I blush as I forgot I was naked when I ran to the phone.

I look at Michael and smile. He was tall…six one…and I had to stand on my tip toes and he had to bend down just for a kiss…I am only five four, but I lie and say five five. He is very handsome standing there in his boxer briefs and shirtless as his long light brown hair hangs loose to his shoulders. I have the sudden urge to go to him and run my hands through his slightly hairy chest and cuddle in his muscular arms and run my hand over his well defined abs. He was built very nicely. Not bulky like a weight lifter and all gross and veiny. Michael has more of the swimmer's body…maybe a little larger…and he is very handsome. I have been dating him for about three months and last night was the first time he slept over and we did the deed…see I am not a slut.

Actually Michael is only the third person I have ever had sex with and I am twenty five years old. I have friends who are as old as me and in the double digits and one friend who is a year older and on her way to even hit triple digits in a year if she keeps up her pace. Michael is also the first male I have ever dated or had sex with…and well…the first human. Okay I know…I think they are monsters and I kill them when I have to but yeah I have had sex with them. Conflict of interest huh? Well maybe but I don't regret it and one I am so in love with it hurts when she is not here and the other is such a sweet person who would never hurt anyone unless she had to defend herself.

The first one who took my virginity is Carly and she is a vampire over two thousand years old and I have never seen a girl or anybody as lovely as her…of course I am a little prejudice since I am so in love with her. Well maybe I am…I am not sure anymore. Not because she is a vampire; I have accepted that. No I don't know anymore because I have not heard from her in a little over a year…thirteen months, twelve, days, and show me a clock I can give you the hours and minutes…yeah I doubt my love for her huh? But she did hurt me emotionally with her long absence. I was used to her being gone for long periods of times…the longest was four months. But thirteen…give me a break! I have not even heard word of her. I thought she may be dead. She did have a habit of not obeying the Vampire Council's rules (a group of seven very old and powerful vampires somewhere in Europe) and was free spirited for a vampire but I think I would know if she was dead. Don't ask how I just would. Of course I could be wrong. Carly's real name is Julia as in Julia Caesar…yep that's right…her father was the one and only Julius Caesar. Yes you got it; the one you study in history class at school.

Carly makes me doubt sometimes who the monsters are. I mean she is a vampire and over two thousand years old and trust me she is very powerful but I love her so how can she be a monster, right? Plus I have seen humans do some terrible things when they kill so that would make them monsters as well shouldn't it? Sometimes I just don't know anymore so maybe it is a good thing I have not seen Carly in so long…but why does it still hurt so fucking much?

The other girl is Mei and she is just the sweetest person I have ever met. And she is also a wereleopard. Yep once a month she turns furry. Mei and I are still friends and maybe even good friends still but I have not talked to her in about two months so I really don't know. She got involved in some things we argued about and that was it and well…not to be so full of myself…she fancies she is in love with me and I think it got difficult to be around me a lot.

I walk over to Michael and smile and hug him and yes my head falls on his chest and my fingers start tracing his abs. I look up at him and smile, "Jealous?" I tease.

"Should I be?" He asks and I don't like his tone and push myself off of him.

"Of Henry…never. Be afraid of him, Michael, but never jealous if him. Now you have to go. If you would like…call me and come back after he leaves."

He stands there staring at me with that look of jealousy on his face. I hate jealous! I have never liked it.

"Why can't I stay? If I am not to be jealous of him and there is nothing between you then how come I can't stay and meet you friend?" His voice still held that hint of anger.

I walk into the kitchen and start my coffee maker. I have one that will start automatically but it is set for eight thirty. I have to have my morning coffee. I love coffee. Michael follows me into the kitchen and I turn to him.

"Do you want to know why I want you to leave? Fine I will tell you. Because I like you and I don't want to see you dead, Michael! That is why you have to leave! So either shower and leave or just leave!" Ok maybe a little harsh but one he knows who I am and what I do, two I am a grump in the morning and have not had my coffee, and three I am scared of what Henry wants so yeah I am a little on edge.

Michael walks to me and bends down and gently kisses my lips and I stand on my toes to get more. My tongue slides into his mouth eagerly and I suck his into mine. I let out a moan as his hands slip under my robe and touches my naked back and he pulls me closer. I then press my body to him and gasp in pleasure as I fell his hardness pressing against my stomach…see I am shorter than him. I push him away gently. Yeah I was turned on and wanted him but I could not get my mind off Henry and that is not the thought I want during sex.

"Sorry, Sam, about the jealousy thing. Do you need me to and around in case things get out of control?"

I shook my head. You would think I would want six one muscular man around to help when Henry visited. Michael was strong and he knew how to fight. He had a black belt in martial arts and that was where we met. We both attend the same martial arts dojo and I saw him at tournaments and he waxed the floor with every opponent he faced but that was at tournaments. Michael was a boy scout, one of the things I liked about him. He did not believe violence ever settled anything. He did not see the evil in the world. Me I knew it did. Violence settled a lot of things in my life and I have seen the true evil in this world and have killed a good bit of it. I have seen it first hand when I was seventeen and spent the night in that fucking coffin. I shiver just thinking about it. At least the nightmares don't come as often. But not his life. He looks for the good in everyone and I do like that about him while I look for the bad in everyone. My way helps me live his will get you killed. For all his strength and fighting prowess he was not a shooter or a killer and Henry was. Henry is the best human I have ever seen at killing and Michael would not stand a chance against him. Me…I had a chance because I also was good at killing, but was I as good as Henry? I don't know and I pray to God I never find out.

"Ok, Sam, I leave. I'll call you later. Are we still on for dinner at my parents?" He asked as I turn around to fix me a cup of coffee. I would offer him a cup but he drinks tea and does not like coffee. Yeah he does have a flaw huh? Hard to trust someone who doesn't drink coffee

"Yeah we should be." If I was still breathing or walking we were. I liked his mom and dad but they kept pushing marriage. I liked Michael but I was not in love with him and marriage did not settle in my life anyway. "Dear, watch junior while I go kill some vampires" no that was not me. And they were the touchy feely type. That took me a while to get used to.

He kissed me on the forehead and walked in the bedroom to get dressed. I gave him some brownie points for not arguing about staying. I hated when men pulled that macho shit on me just because I was small and petite. Michael left a few moments later with another great kiss and told me he would call later. After my second cup of coffee I went back into my room and smiled that he made up the bed and then grabbed my 9mm Firestar pistol, checked the ammunition clip, chambered a round, put the safety on, and put it in the pocket of my robe. I looked at myself in the mirror and frowned a little when I saw my robe hang down on the right side due to the weight of the gun but I guess it could not be helped. I wanted it to look like I was unarmed, but after thinking about it I thought it would not matter anyway. Henry would know I was armed. I glance over myself and run a brush through my long blonde hair and curse as the brush snagged on some tangles and then put the brush down. I would not worry about any makeup…it was just Henry not a date. I'm cute and a lot of people tell me I am pretty and some have even used the word beautiful but I settle for cute.

I have long blonde hair and my skin has a natural light tan that looks really nice in the summer when I get the chance to get some sun. And as I mentioned I am five four and only weigh one ten but it is a healthy and toned on ten. I work out as much as possible. I work out with weights, my martial arts is a work out; not really much of a self defense thing for me. There is no way I am going to arm wrestle a vampire or shapeshifter and win. No matter how much hand to hand I know I can't beat something that can bench press a small car in a fist fight. And I try to jog at least five miles every day. I look at myself again…yeah cute and then I slipped on a pair of panties. I could have gotten dressed since I had plenty of time to slip on a pair of jeans and shirt but I have a little quirk, in my home I like to be comfy and don't like to get dressed unless I have showered first. Yeah weird but it is who I am and I don't think Henry would mind. He could kill or torture me in a robe just as well as a pair of jeans.

I walk back into the kitchen and poor myself some more coffee, add cream and sugar, and then wait. It was almost an hour to the minute from his phone call when I heard the knock on the door. I walked and look through the peep hole and see Henry standing in the hall. He was dressed in black slacks and blue golf shirt and a light black leather jacket. He did not look armed but I knew he was. He would be carrying at least two guns and maybe a knife. He had the box of donuts in his hand. I reach into my pocket and click the safety off my Firestar and open the door with a smile and hid my body behind the door. Henry smiles at me liking the way I protected myself.

"Come on in Henry." He stepped in and waited for me to shut the door. He was not going to turn his back on me. "Can I take the donuts from you?" I say as I shut the door with my back. I was not going to turn my back on him either. Not that he would shoot me in the back since that would not have been a challenge for him. It just made me feel better.

Henry smiled and opened the box slowly and showed me it was just donuts. Half a dozen jelly filled powdered donuts and no gun. I smile back and he starts laughing. "I told you, Sam, I am not here to kill you. But please put the safety back on the gun in your pocket before you shoot your leg off."

I slowly slip my hand in my robe pocket and do as he asks and his eyes never leave me just in case I decided to pull the gun. I was not thinking it…well yeah I was…but I was not going to do it. Henry said he was not going to kill me and he wouldn't. I believed him when he said he wouldn't because he respects me and would tell me the truth on that and it made me relax some. There was still the possibility of torture looming in the air.

Once in the kitchen I poor him a coffee…black…and eat two of the donuts. "Ok, Henry, what brings you to Seattle besides information? I know you did not travel all this way just to visit little ole me." I grin as lick some jelly off my fingers.

"Well I did travel all this way to see you because you may be the only person I know who can give me what I need." He says and then gives me that cold blue eyes stare. "I need to know where Carly is, Sam." He says calmly but very precise pronouncing every would carefully.

My heart feels like it stopped beating as it jumped into my throat. "I don't know. That's the truth, Henry."

He sighs, "Sam, don't lie to me. Of anyone…human or vampire…you would know. I'll give you one more chance."

I swallow hard to try and keep the panic out of my voice. I think it worked, "Henry I swear I don't know. I have not seen her in over a year or even heard from her. You know me. If I did know you're right I wouldn't tell you unless you tortured me. You also know if you torture me I'll end up giving you some bullshit story of where she is just so you'll stop. We both know that shit about never talking under torture is not true…the human body can only take so much and eventually people will sell out their own mother or make up lies just so it'll stop. That is what I'd do…make up lies because I swear I don't know." God I hoped he believed me. See I was a good liar when I needed to be and he knew that.

He looked at me again and shrugged, "Well damn…you don't know huh?"

I shake my head and then ask the question I had to know as soon as he asked about Carly, "Did you take a contract on her, Henry."

He smiles…the bastard, "For you I will tell you. No I didn't. I was offered one and still have forty eight hours to give my answer. It is for a hell of a lot of money and worth my time. Somebody wants her dead, Sam, and they want her dead bad."

"Who and why?" I ask. Ok maybe a silly question on the why part. She was a vampire and a very old one at that and I am sure she made some enemies over the years but still it nagged me for some reason. If it was an old enemy then why now…why the contract now? Oh, Carly, have you been a naughty girl in the past year?

"You know I can't tell you the who and the why. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. The why is none of my concern and the who goes through so many middle men to protect the client and to protect the hitter. But someone wants her dead, Sam…dead enough to offer the contract to me for a lot of money."

"Are you going to take it?" I am a little afraid for Carly. Ok maybe I shouldn't be. I see Carly as a beautiful sweet girl who loves me…or did…and who liked to go out on dates and watch romantic comedies…but hell she is a two thousand year old vamp with some heavy duty powers I have also seen when she got angry. She can take care of herself…I knew that. But I also knew Henry. If he was offered a contract for Carly and was thinking about taking it; it had to be for a hell of a lot of money. He was not stupid and he also knew Carly and knew she would not just lay there and let him kill her. But he was good…if anyone could do her it would be him.

"If I do take it…do we have a problem?" He answered my question. He knew my feelings for Carly.

I look him in the eye and smile, "Yeah we would have a problem, Henry." I knew if he killed Carly I would kill him or try to. It was that simple. You kill or hurt someone I love and I kill you. I no longer felt afraid I felt angry. Anger and sometimes rage is my savior at times; it made me feel good and took my other emotions away.

He laughs…the son of a bitch was laughing. "Well that may worth taking it, Sam. I mean to go after her is a huge challenge in itself but to have you come after me…I always wanted to know if you got that good, Sam. I heard rumors and read the articles about you in the papers…of the Executioner and the job she is doing and heard you have the second highest vampire kill rate in the country…well legal ones. I must say it is tempting to see if you got that good."

I hated this between us. It started a while back when I helped him in Texas. He asked then who would be better and I blew him off because it scared me. I knew he was but he and I also knew I would not back down it if came to it. I stare back into his cold blue eyes. I hated that look…his death look. I've seen it before but luckily it was never directed at me until now. I suddenly felt the weight of my gun in my robe pocket and it gave me comfort. Sad but true; some girls my age get comfort from a stuffed animal to hug or a warm body of a loved one. Me…I got comfort from my guns. How sad is that?

I stare back at him, "Let's not play this game today, Henry. It's early and I was hoping to sleep in late and maybe spend some more time with lover boy this morning and I am not in the mood." Yeah I was scared and hoping I was faster than him if it came down to having to go for my gun.

He smiles at me and his eyes change from cold to alive. He was good at that; he could be the cold blooded bastard one second and the good ole friendly man the next. I had yet to perfect that change. When I got mad or threatening I stayed that way until someone or something I was mad at or threatening died. Henry stood up slowly with his hands in clear view to show me the game was over. He walked to the door and turned and gave me that nice smile he can give at times.

"I have forty eight hours, Sam, to give my answer. If I don't give it the contract goes to someone else. Like I said…someone wants her dead in a bad way. Thanks for the coffee and I'll be in touch." He leaves.

I sit at the table for a long moment finishing my fifth cup of coffee and then suddenly I relax for the first time since he called me this morning and I grin. "That son of a bitch! He was warning me! He wasn't going to take the contract…he was telling me I had forty eight hours to find out where Carly was and help her! That wonderful bastard!" I say aloud.

Why wouldn't he take the contract I have no idea? It was not fear of me or Carly…that I knew. Henry was not afraid of anything…so why? Did he really care for me that much? Naw…not that, right? Did he like Carly and did not want to kill her? Hell no! Whatever the reason I would take it. Now I needed to find out where she was and what she had been up to. That was another problem. In order to find out I needed to talk to the monsters. I jump slightly as my phone rang.

"Hello, lover, care to come back and help me decide to skip church?" I say as I answer the phone. I was feeling giddy after I discovered Henry's game and maybe his hinted at offer to help me.

"Hell, Sam, I did not know you cared. My wife may not like it through." The male voice chuckled on the other end. Shit! Not Michael!

I blush deep, "Umm…sorry Stan…thought you were someone else." Detective Lt. Walter Stanislavski or Stan was the detective in charge of Seattle's Preternatural and Supernatural Investigation Unit PSIU or the Ghost Squad for short. They investigated murders committed by supernatural things like vampires and lycanthropes and I was on retainer as and advisor for them. I was not a cop and had not authority as a cop but they called me in to view the crime scene to help as their expert so to speak.

"Yeah I thought so…I need you to come down here, Sam. We have a body." Stan said curtly.

"Ok…tell me where here is and give me the directions." I replied. He hung up without saying good bye but I have gotten used to it over the years. He never said goodbye.

"Shit! This day is really turning out to be a real kill joy." I yell and call Michael on my cell to let him know the rest of my day is not free anymore and then go put some clothes on. I don't have time for a shower with a crime scene waiting and that makes me mad.


	2. Chapter 2

I drove to the crime scene in my three year four wheel drive Nissan Xterra to View Ridge, a neighborhood in North Seattle, and followed Stan's directions that led me close to the Sand Point Country Club. The actual scene was easy to find since there were a number of police cars, both marked and unmarked, and an ambulance and many uniformed and plains clothes cops walking around as well as the civilians who wanted to know what was going on and some even hoping to catch a glimpse of a dead body. Me…I hated to catch a glimpse of the dead body. I have seen too many of them and never could understand why anyone would want to look at them. I stopped my Xterra, got out, and decided not to put on my jacket to hide my shoulder holster and Browning 9mm Practical. First I was licensed to carry it, second I was on police business even if I was not a cop, and third I would be putting on some cover alls anyway to protect my clothes from the blood…there was always blood. I knew it was going to be bad. It always was when a supernatural creature did the killing and even if the police did not know it was for sure or not yet they had to suspect it to call in the Ghost Squad and then for Stan to call me…yeah it was going to be bad and bloody.

I open the back of my SUV and pull on a clean set of those disposable white coveralls, slip over a pair of those thin plastic bootys over my black Converse High Tops…I am a huge fan of canvas sneakers…and attached my Ghost Squad ID badge to the front of the coveralls. It really is just and ID in plastic that helps identify me was a civilian consultant and not law enforcement, but it does help me get access to the crime scene when I have to get past a uniform cop who does not know me. I smile at the number of police that always show up at a murder scene when the victim is an upstanding citizen. The gang killings and the bad neighborhoods never rate this many cops. I always thought the best time to commit a crime in the city was when Joe Accountant is murdered since most of the cops will be at the crime scene. But hey who am I to tell the professionals how to do their job. They don't give me advice on killing a vampire so I don't give them advice on how to run a crime scene. My only job here is to examine the body, give Stan some idea of what I think it may be or has happened, answer his questions, and leave. It is up to him to take my opinion or listen to me. He normally does at least listen. He is a good cop…one of the best I have ever met and a great detective. I often wondered who he pissed off to get put on the Ghost Squad. The unit was not the most sought after task force for the department. Most of the guys were good cops but did something to make a superior angry and got transferred.

"Sorry, m'am, but you can't cross the line." A male voice brought me out of my thoughts as I lifted the police tape. I flash him my ID and the cop motions with his hands to go on through. I look around and see a familiar face and smile.

"Hello, Detective Parsons."

"Hello, Ms. Puckett, the lieutenants down the hill to the right. Need a uniform to escort you?" Detective Jeff Parsons is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He was tall, well everyone is tall to me, who stood just at six foot, has dark black skin and I thought he was very nice looking and his politeness only added to his looks in my opinion. He was always nice and always polite and always such a gentleman and I used to wonder how he survived being a cop this long. That was until I had seen him in action and we stood toe to toe against a couple of vampires a couple of years ago and he showed me then he was not always nice and polite.

"No…I'm good detective, I don't think I could miss him." I hear him chuckle and walked down the hill a little and see a small crowd of four men standing and talking. One was Stan and I was right; I couldn't miss him. He stood six foot six and his build always reminded me of a professional wrestler, and not the sloppy fat ones, and his graying hair was cut short almost a buzz cut. As I walked closer he saw me and held his hand up for me not to come closer. I wondered what that was about but I stopped. Stan's gray suit looked like he just got it out of the cleaners it was so neat and pressed and the same for his white dress shirt; as always his tie matched his suit and the knot of it was pushed up to his throat. He looked like he just stepped out of an important board meeting and not from a murder scene. But I knew better, he always looked neat and orderly and I knew him. He saw the body and examined it; he was always the first before he allowed anyone else near it. Like I said, he was a good cop and a hell of a detective.

Next to him and was another face I knew. Detective Alfred Zimmerman stood about five eleven and had a slender athletic build and his black hair looked uncombed and need trimming bad. He was the total opposite in Stan as far as appearances goes. Zimmer's suit looked like he pulled it out of the dirty clothes hamper and left it all wrinkled and his tie hung loosely around his neck. He looked up at me and grinned and then winked. I flipped him off and he tried not to laugh. Yeah he and I have a weird rapport.

I waited and looked at the other two men on almost identical dark suits, white shirts, black shoes, and knew why Stan told me to hang back. They were feds. They were easy to spot in their almost matching suits and I often thought if they got issued their suits like they did their badges and guns or was there a special store they all shopped at…Feds R us…or something. I wondered why they were here; their presence just didn't sit right to me for some reason. I shrugged and waited and soon Stan motioned me to join them

"Sam, this it Agent Harris," Stan pointed at a brown haired agent with a nice smile and I shook his hand, "And this is Agent Williams. They are with the FBI."

I shook Williams hand and but he did not give me a polite smile and his hand shake was to firm…way to firm like he was testing me. I just smiled at him and knew for some reason he did not like me. I took offense to that. I mean…yeah I can be a pain in the ass at times and my mouth seems to talk before my mind thinks a lot of the time…but hell he just met me. At least give me a chance to call him an asshole before he starts hating me. He then gave me a sharp look after I let go of his hands and giggled…yeah I giggle shoot me I am a girl you know! I was not giggling at him I swear but at the names and decided the feds must shop for their names when they shopped for their suits. I have met a few over the years and they were always named Harris, Williams, Smith, Jones, etc. Agent Williams gave me a dirty look and so did Stan. When Stan looked at me I sobered up and managed to mumble sorry.

Stan turned his eyes from me, "Agents, this is Samantha Puckett. She is our resident advisor and consultant on crimes such as these." Stan finished.

Williams looked at me carefully, "And you are also the resident vampire executioner?" He asked as if he did not believe it and I suddenly knew why he did not like me. I did not live up to his expectations. First I was a female and second I was small and petite and well…cute. Well strike one against me I guess. I was used to it by now through. I always got that reaction when I first met people and they know who I am. The Ghost Squad used to be the same way until I had stood shoulder to shoulder with most of the guys when the shit hit the fan and now they have respect for me and I them. They see me now as either a kid sister or a cute girl to flirt with. I prefer the kid sister role myself.

"Yeah, I am." I say with a smile and hope he does not piss me off. See…I kind of have a bad temper…ok not kind of I do.

"And according to our information, Samantha, you have the second highest execution rate in the country." That was true I did as far as legal executions. They don't count the illegal ones because they don't know about those. Henry way out scored me in that game but I had a few under my belt.

I just give him my cutesy girl smile, "So do I when a prize? Is that why you guys are here?"

"Just tell us what you know or think you know about this murder, Samantha." He said harshly.

"First it is not Samantha. It is either Puckett or Ms. Puckett and if you get to know me, Williams, you can call me Sam." Yeah I was getting pissed at this guy.

"Ok _Ms_. Puckett, tell us what you know." He emphasized the Ms. Yeah that was strike to in his book. He made it clear he thought I was just a civilian and not law enforcement and had not right being on the crime scene. I wonder if I could get strike three with this guy before the day was out. My money was on I could.

"Well, gee, Agent Williams, I really don't know yet because I have not looked at the body yet. Give me a chance and maybe I can help you understand. Or have you even looked at it yet? Does the thought of seeing a little blood make you want to fly back to Washington and get a desk job or something or is it the fact a little ole girl like me has more guts than a big strong man when it comes to dealing with the monsters!" Yeah I was pissed and swinging for strike three.

"That's enough Williams! Let her do her job." Agent Harris said. He must be the Agent in charge. Williams looked at me and started walking back up the hill.

"Come on, Sam, let's go look at the vic." Stan said and gently pulled on my arm. See he gets to call me Sam. I'm not a total bitch, but of course he is a friend and I had a lot of respect for him.

I look and see Zimmerman chuckling at me and was about to say something when Stan shook his head so I just stuck my tongue out instead. Zimmerman walked quickly to follow us and came behind me.

"Sam, you shouldn't advertise that tongue with me unless you intend to use it." He smiled.

I look over my shoulder and smirk, "You wouldn't know what to do with it anyway, Zimmer."

"Are you offering?" He asked with a grin.

"One day I am going to tell Kathy on you and then where would you be?" I reply.

Zimmerman laughed, "Hell, Sam, she knows I am a happy leech and she might let you have me if you promise to keep me for a month or so." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

I smiled at that. I liked his wife Kathy. She was totally opposite from him. She was neat and orderly and very prim and proper…hell she was opposite from me too I guess…and very lady like. She was just a doll and I could never figure out how he landed such a sweet beauty like her.

"Ok kids, enough." Stan said with a chuckle at the rapport between me and Zimmerman as we approached the body. The body or what was left of it was lying in the grass almost under a large oak tree and covered with a black plastic sheet.

"Everyone else done their job?" I ask Stan and he nods which meant that everyone already saw the body, photos were taken, and forensics were already gathered. Now it was my turn. I sigh and pull some latex surgical gloves from the pocket of my cover alls and go take a look.

"Hey, Sam, don't get sick on this one, Ok." Zimmerman chuckles and this time I do flip him off again. God…get sick all over the body one time and you never live it down. I still get sick sometimes…hell they all do. I have seen Zimmerman and Parsons lose their lunch at times but of course never on the body like I did that time. Yeah it gets to us all…but never Stan…I never saw him get sick. Maybe he has been doing this for to long.

I kneel down next to the victim and take a deep breathe through my nose. Big mistake…huge mistake! I smell it. I smell the blood and the flesh and the death. It is so fresh it smells like raw hamburger meat and the blood smells metallic. I close my eyes and settle my stomach and was glad all I had this morning was two jelly donuts with raspberry jelly. Red raspberry jelly that looked like congealed blood. Great Sam…you have not even seen the body and already you are going to get sick!

"Sam, you ok?" I hear Stan's voice and Zimmerman's chuckle.

"Yeah…umm…do we have an estimated time of death yet?" I was stalling and he knew it. But it was important. If it was after dawn then that would rule out a vampire.

Stan reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small notebook. "Yeah…time of death was estimated at three or four am. The victim by his driver's license is twenty eight and name…"

"No…don't need the name. Thanks, Stan." I never wanted the name before I examined the body. Now it was just a body but with a name it was a person. A man with a family, a mother who loved him, maybe a wife and kids that would never see daddy again. No…no names until after I am done.

I remove the plastic sheet and focus on what I am looking for and not the blood…and there was a lot of it. I look down at my knees and see I am even knelling in some. I glance at the tree and see splatters of blood on the trunk and around the tree. I close my eyes and open them slowly and begin to examine the body. The first thing I see is that is face and head seemed untouched and then I lower my eyes and see his chest and lower torso and try not to gag. His chest and abdomen was ripped open and his organs and intestines spilled around the body. I close my eyes for a moment and then start to examine the wounds with my hands and look at them closely. They were ripped but not with a knife but with claws. I could see the jagged areas around the skin; it was actually four claw marks of almost equal length which told me that the animal that did this…or wereanimal…only struck once. If it had struck more than once there would have been more claw wounds. I sigh and pull out my pocket tape measure and measure the distance of the wounds. They were too large to me a natural large cat, and yes I was sure it was a cat, in the area. They were large enough to be a tiger's paws but of course tigers are not natural to the area and hell…we don't even have one in our zoo. I reach under the head of the body and pull it up to see if he may have been attacked from behind and nope. All clean. The cat that attacked him did him face to face and it was not for food. There were not teeth marks and the body was not eaten. Another reason I did not suspect a natural predator. I was placing the head down gently and something caught my eyes on the neck.

I look down closer and curse. Vampire bites! The man was attacked…no murdered…by a vampire and by a werecat. Not good…not good at all. I then start to look closer at the body, picking up arms and legs and looking close and on the inside of his arm at the joint was another pair of vampire bites. Double fuck! I then blush as I lift up the body's jogging shorts and examine his inner thighs. Some vampires like to bite there for a sexual effect…trust me I know that one. I still have the scars from cleansing the bites with holy water. I hesitated a little embarrassed by about what I had to do…ok for all my talk and stuff I can be modest with a stranger…even a dead one. I look and sure enough two more fang marks. I use my tape measure and measure the bite marks and write the measurements down below the ones from the claw marks. They were all three different which means there were had one Lycanthrope and three vampires that attacked this man at the same time. Not a good day at all…and it was not to feed. There was too much body left for the werecat to have fed and too much blood for the vampires to have fed. A single vampire cannot feed off of a person's whole supply of blood. They just can't drink that much. A man this size may have six or six and a half quarts of blood in him and there is not way a vampire can drink that much at a single setting and they don't need that much anyway. Three…year they could come close but with the blood on the ground and splattered all around it was just to much left over for three vampires to feed. They killed this man not for food but just to kill.

I got up and removed my bloodstained gloves and threw them in the large black plastic garbage bag with all the other bloody gloves from previous people and walked back up to Stan and Zimmerman. I saw Stan wave the feds over as I got to him. He held up his hand for me to be quiet until they got there.

"So what do you know, Ms. Puckett?" Williamson asked in a snide manner. I ignored him and turned my attention to Stan.

"Well...the short version. He was attacked by a lycanthrope and three vampires."

Stan gave me a go ahead motion with his hand. "Ok…tell me why you think that?"

Good ole Stan. He liked to play twenty questions with me. I hated it but knew why he did it. He looked at the body and he saw what I did and I think he even came to the same conclusions but he wanted my opinion without making any snap judgments. Like I said…he was a good detective.

"The body was ripped out by claw marks that are to big to be of any natural large cat we have in the area and he was attacked in the front. Large predatory cats attack from behind." I look at my notes, "The three vampire marks are all from three different sets of fangs. Their widths don't match up."

"Ok…first why did you say cat? Why not a werewolf?" Stan asked.

"Because a wolf will not use its paws to kill, they prefer teeth and a cat will. They like to rip and tear to get to the meat."

Stan nodded and I could see he agreed with me. "Ok…so we have a werecat and three vamps who fed on him. Is that common?" Now he was asking something he did not know.

I shake my head, "No…not at all. First they did not feed off of him. The cat did not eat…there were not jaw or teeth marks and no signs of it feeding. The same with the vampires…too much blood for three not to have fed on the man. Now that is the strange part. The man's neck was not broken; besides his ribs and sternum being broke from the cat ripping into him there were no signs of other broken bones…so that means the bites themselves were not lethal. It was the cat that killed him."

"Why is that strange?" Williams asked.

I turned to him, "Because it was as if they were marking him…like some serial killers do." I notice Agent Harris raise his eyebrows and look at Williams.

"Ok…what's going on here?" I ask Stan. "Why the feds? They don't just come show up at a murder scene like this."

I see Harris nod to Stan and Stan looked at me, "This is the third body we have found like this. All three bodies were ripped open with three separate vampire bites all in the same place."

"Jesus and Joseph, Stan! Why didn't you call me after the first one? You at least knew it was a vampire! Damn it, Stan…we are talking about a serial killer here…three to be exact…and I get called in on the third vic! Fuck…why?" I am screaming as I pull off my bloody cover alls. When I get out of them a uniform cop come up and opens a trash bag and I throw them in the bag so angry I did not even thank him.

"Calm down, Sam, the chef did not want you called in…he does not like civilians on our crime scenes you know that. He did not want you in on this one but I made the call anyway. Now tell me…why this is not normal…three vampires and a lycanthrope attacking together?"

I take a deep breath and calm myself and see Agent Williams staring at my gun and also see his eyes look over my left arm. I have a large scar there that starts at the elbow and ends at my wrist. It is pretty ugly and jagged looking and only about eight months old. It will fade more in time. Happened when a vampire was trying to get at my throat and I was blocking his mouth with my left arm and used the gun in my right to blow his brains out

"I got more, Williams, if you care to see." I say was I pull the collar of my tee shirt down to saw him the start of the long nasty jagged scar there. I normally did not care if people ogle my scars…I was used them now…but I don't flaunt them either. I was just pissed. First by his attitude to me from the moment we met, seeing the man ripped apart, not being called in on the earlier two victims, and now the way he was looking at me…pity about my scars. Yeah he was looking at me with pity for the poor cute petite girl all scarred up. I hated that the most.

I glare at him as I show him my shoulder, "Yeah a real mean vamp did that one, Williams. He didn't do it to feed he did it to hurt me. Chewed on me like a rabid dog before someone stuck a shot gun against his head and splattered his undead brains all over me." God was I edgey today or what? Oh that some one was Henry.

"Sam! That's enough!" I hear Stan shout. I turn back to him ready to focus my anger on him but he does not back down. He just gives me those blank cop eyes and I sigh.

"Sorry…I am just pissed. Maybe if I had been called earlier we could have caught the bastards who did this and that man down there would be alive." My eyes soften a little as I look up at Stan. "His name…what's his name?" I wanted the name now. I had seen the body and now I wanted a name to go with it.

Stan pulled out his notes, "Clarence Foskey. Age twenty eight. Works as an investment banker and his wife said he always gets up early…around three…to go jogging before he goes into work."

Fuck! I scream in my head. Wife…just great, "Any…any kids?" I ask.

Stan nods, "Two…one three…girl…and one five…boy."

"Do you feel that is important, Ms. Puckett? Let us handle the investigation. You just tell us what you know about the vamps and the shapeshifters." Williams smirks. He was letting me know I was not a cop.

"Fuck you, Williams." Yeah I did not need to know if Clarence had kids and it hurt to know that he did. There were two little kids out there whose daddy was not coming home tonight. The little girl would not get tucked in by daddy or read a bedtime story. The little boy would no longer have a daddy to teach him to play baseball. It sucked I know and it made me fell hurt to know. But I had to…I always had to so I could say a little prayer for the little kids and their mommy before I went to sleep tonight. I know it won't help them cope…but it helps me.

"Williams, go wait by the car." I hear Agent Harris say and turn to me as Williams stomped off. "Ms. Puckett, could you please answer the detective's question? Besides the obvious why is it not normal?"

I smile at him…him he was nice and could call me Sam. "Well first of all Lycanthropes and vampires really don't get along. They may join up to help strengthen a power base for a temporary alliance but it won't last. And I think we also are dealing with at least one master vampire here."

"Why…why do you think that and what do you mean a master vampire?"

"A master vampire is an old vampire…at least three to four hundred years old. Now not every vampire that old or older is a master. Some can be a thousand years old and never become a master vamp. Don't ask me why it happens…I don't know and neither do they. It just happens. I like to think of it as a person born with natural talent for something…like intelligence…some people can never crack a book and they are geniuses. Others can study all their lives and work hard to improve themselves but they will never be as smart as the genius. Master vampires have more powers but they are not all the same. I have came across some master vampires who can't mind fuck you…sorry…use their mind to mesmorise you and two who could make you believe anything they wanted you to…not just believe it but actually live it. Some can levitate and others can't…I can't explain why that happened either it is just they way it is…like their genetic makeup or something. Now just because some of them are not master vampires does not mean they are not some powerful or scary bastards but it takes a master vampire to be able to control two…what I am assuming…lesser vampires not to feed like this. They get the scent of blood and it can make them want nothing else. So yeah…they had to be controlled by a master vampire…and then there is the werecat."

"Explain." Harris said simply but politely. "Last night was not a full moon…so are you sure it was a wereanimal?"

I nod, "Not a hundred percent but I would say ninety nine percent. It was just to fucking big not to be. And lycanthropes don't have to have a full moon to shift. Than can shift at will but on the full moon they will change whether they want to or not."

"And does it take a master vampire to control a shapeshifter?'

"No…but for one to kill without eating…yes. Lycanthropes are powerful in their own right and I have seen some more powerful than a master vampire. In a one on one fight without being able to use their mind tricks or mental powers I would put my money on a strong shapeshifter over an equally strong vampire. But…this…well…I have came across only two vampires that had a very unique ability. They could force a lycanthrope to change and then if they wanted they could control it. That is what I think happened here. For it not to eat he or she was controlled."

"And who would they be and are they in this area?" Stan said and took out his little notebook.

"One is Cassandra and she was over three thousand years old."

"Was?" Harris asked me.

"Yeah…was…she's dead." I say flatly.

"Are you sure…one hundred percent?"

I look him in the eyes, "Yeah…I am one hundred percent. I killed her."

Harris frowns, "She was not on you list of executions."

What the fuck? They checked me out! Those bastards had pulled my police file and checked me out. I stare at him coldly, "Yeah I am fucking sure agent! I fucking did the deed myself and the reason she is not on any record you morbid fucks may keep on me is because I was only fucking seventeen years old and the monsters weren't legal then! Her fucking heart was cut out, her head chopped off, her body burned to ash, and those ashes scattered in a body of running water! No she is not coming back!" Oh God...please never let her come back…please. I pray quickly. Yeah she still scared me even in death. I never met another vampire as strong or as scary as she was and I hope I never do.

Now I normally don't get this hysterical and normally would never have lost my cool…honest I wouldn't…but I was afraid of the next question I knew I had to answer…I was terrified of the next question and getting very on edge.

"Ok…umm…we will scratch her. Who is the other one?" He ask in his polite voice.

And there it was. I had to tell them. I mean three murders and it was maybe the prime suspect…I had to. I was one of the good guys, right? I had not choice!

"C…she goes by the name Carly now…her original name is…is Julia." I stammer out and I want to run all of a sudden. I want to run home and get into bed and pray for God to never let this day happen.

"And since you seem to know a lot about them…is she attached to this city?"

"No…she's not." I look at Stan. "Can…can I have a moment, Stan, and then I answer more questions. Please." He must have seen the pleading in m eyes and nodded. He of course did not know about my history with Carly…I don't kiss and tell…but he saw something and knew I needed this and he knew I never asked him for favors like this unless it was bad….and man was it bad…for me at least.

I walk up the hill a little and sit down in the grass. It was all coming together. The contract on her life, Henry coming here to Seattle, the murders…I knew it was a very rare ability for a vampire to be able to call out a lycanthropes beast and control it and Carly could…all the thoughts ran through my head. Is this why someone wanted Carly dead? Did the person who put the contact on her know she was doing this and maybe she murdered someone who knew and wanted revenge? But why her? I mean she would never do this or am I just so damn blind to her? Yeah she is a vampire and I know what that means. I know she is powerful…very powerful…but is she capable of this? Yes she is…I have seen it. I have seen what she had done when Cassandra showed me that night in her coffin. Carly has done things that made what I saw today look like a scrape on a kids elbow. Yes she was capable of doing this and much worse…so much worse. She always hated when the vamps got outed. She used to tell me as we lay naked in bed that she hated being known. She was on of the old vampires who preferred to keep their ancient secret. She much preferred when her kind was just whispered nightmares. Yeah…I know she could do this…but would she? Has something changed in her over the past year I did not know about? Had she became her old self again and not the girl…vampire…I fell in love with? Maybe…vampires were not a very consistent lot and I did not trust any of them…so should I trust her? A vampire survived on violence, evil, and lies so why should she be different? I have seen to many of them to believe she should be any different than the rest! Maybe I was letting my feelings for her get out of control. Maybe I let her confuse me on who the monsters were? Maybe it was time I finally realized again they were all monsters and none of them could be trusted regardless of what they whispered to you as they made love to you!

I put my hands over my face and put my head down and start to cry. I did not want to…not here in front of the cops and their macho bullshit men's club but I could not help it. Carly broke my heart once when she just stopped seeing me without a word and I cried then…I cried for months…and I finally got over it. I started to get better…but today she broke my heart again. The first time was something I had to live with and could let go after a time. This time it was not as easy. This time it was not only my life but the life of Clarence Foskey and his wife and his two kids whose daddy was never going to come home and kiss them good night and the life of those two other nameless victims. This time I could not let it go. This time I had to do my job…this time I may have to kill Carly. The next time I see her I may not be Samantha Puckett…the girl who loves her…the next time I see her I may have to be The Executioner.


	3. Chapter 3

As I sat on the hill in the grass crying, thinking, and actually feeling like I was losing my sanity I ran through the thoughts in my head again. Could this be Carly…yes it could, but was I a one hundred percent it was…of course not. I did not jump to conclusions that easy especially when dealing with the monsters. Maybe I shouldn't have given Stan and the feds her name…no I had to do that. There was never an option about that choice; because they asked me if I knew of any vampires that could do this and I did, but that did not mean she was the only one. But I knew it was none of the vampires that resided in the city. They were just not powerful enough to do this. Dante was the Master of the City and while he was powerful and a master vamp he did not have the power to pull the beast from a lycanthrope like his previous now dead mistress did. I also knew he would never allow any of his vampires to do this or commit other crimes. Dante liked the fact he was a good ole upstanding citizen. He owned several night clubs in the Vampire district, used to be the Water Front area but when they became legal vampires started buying up all the property and made it their own. Now it was just the Vampire District or Blood Alley to the humans and the tourists. Yeah we get them. They come to see a real live…well undead…vampire and even go to night clubs where the vampires work. They think it is cool. Me well I avoid it if I can. I don't think they are cool.

No Dante would not allow his vampires to run amuck and kill anyone because it was too dangerous for him because if he did he knew the police would soon come after him and close down his business and maybe even send me after him on some trump up charges. They may be legal and have rights but that does not mean the law liked to protect them if given a choice. Last year one of his vampires killed a man by accident…hell maybe even self defense…but regardless of the reason I was waiting around the Ghost Squad's prescient for an order of execution when a box was delivered with no name or address. Inside the box was the vampires head. Dante took care of the problem his self and wanted the police to know he did not approve of his vampires breaking the law. But if not one of his…which I really doubted since I would not think any of them had the power to do this…then who? It had to be a master vampire that I was certain and it had to be a damn powerful one. He or she would have had to have enough power to shield them from Dante about being in the area. With being a Master of a City comes certain power and one of those powers is able to sense an outsider vampire in your territory. Either Dante could not sense the vampire or he had company visiting. I sighed and knew it was time to go visit him. I did not want to but well…we all do things we don't like at times.

"Hey, Samantha, need a cup of coffee." I look up at the voice and smile as Detective Parsons standing over me and smiling as he was handing me a Styrofoam cup of coffee. Normally I would corrected him about my name but this was the first time I ever hear him use my first name and not Ms. Puckett plus he was so damn polite about it so I let it slide.

"Thanks, detective." I say as I take the cup and sip the coffee. It's not too bad…not good but I never really had a bad cup of coffee.

He sits down next to me, "How long you've been doing this, Samantha? Three…three and a half years…working with us I mean."

I shrug, "Yeah…a little over three."

"How many bodies have you seen?"

Again I shrug, "I lost count after the first five I guess."

"Did you know that they transfer us after four years? Not just our squad but all homicide units…they pull only four year tours because the force worries about the sanity of its officers. Maybe you need a break or a vacation, Samantha. You have seen more bodies than me and I have been with the unit just a little over a month before you came. That is why the lieutenant alternates what detective he calls in when a body is found…so we don't' have to see them all. But you…you've seen most." Parsons lightly pats my knee and stands up and walks away.

Yeah I like him. But a break or a vacation was what I did not need right now. Right now we needed to catch who is doing this. With three dead bodies all done the same way we are looking at a serial killer and they just don't take vacations or breaks. A serial killer vampire…oh how fucking lovely is that? True it was not my job. I gave my opinion and I could walk a way right now and just wait for the next call from Stan and go see the next body or the call for me letting me know they had an order of execution. But I did not work that way. I was not a cop so I had no official right to investigate the crime, but also not being a cop I could do things they couldn't. Yeah I may have to bend a few laws but I could live with that if it helped another Clarence Foskey go home to his wife and kids at night…yeah I could definitely live with breaking a few laws.

I take another sip of my coffee and get up to go answer more questions. As I walked back to Stan and Agent Harris I saw Zimmerman and Agent Williams join them. I did not want anymore confrontation today with Williams…I wonder how many years I would get in prison for shooting a FBI agent in the leg? I shake the thought from my head with a grin and join the men.

"What's wrong, Puckett, seeing the body a little too much for the big bad vampire killer?" Williams sneered. OK fuck the leg…he may be worth the death penalty.

I was about to say something when a male voice shouted first. "I don't know what your fucking problem with her is, Agent! But you need to stop right now because I am starting to get pissed off with you and your comments. I don't know you…I don't know who you are or what you've seen but I know her! I have stood shoulder to shoulder with her when the shit hits the fucking fan, Agent! That scar you were looking at on her left arm…she got that when I was with her. She threw herself in front of a vampire who was coming at me and I was out of ammo. She let that fucking thing chew on her so I could get away. How many have you faced, Agent! How many of those things have you some face to face with! So don't ever think she does not have the guts to do what she does or you and I are going to have a real problem that only me beating the shit out of you can settle!"

I turn and see Zimmerman standing next to Stan red faced and his hands clinched into fists at his sides. Zimmer was one of the calmest people I knew and I had never seen him lose his temper. He was a great cop, don't get me wrong, but he was the one I teased with the one who flirted with me and I even had to give him smart ass comments when his sexual innuendos went a little to far sometimes, but I had never seen him angry.

"Detective, Zimmerman…take a walk. A long walk and cool down." Stan's voice made me flinch and Zimmerman nodded and walked away as I watched him. He turned and gave me a leering wink so I flipped him off again but this time with a huge grin on my face.

"Agent Williams, Sam is one of ours and I don't appreciate you talking to her like that. I would like to solve this case as quick as possible. Tell me what you have against her so we can move forward." Stan said to the FBI guy I was not liking at all. I did smile that he included me as "one of ours" since a lot of cops did not see me that way. To them I was just a civilian and not one of them. Which is true but it is nice to be included sometimes.

"Because she is not that…she is not law enforcement," See told you, "and…and she is nothing but a killer. She had not right to be here." Williams said. I couldn't argue the killer part. He was right about that.

"Williams, I agree with the lieutenant. Either start acting like an Agent or I will assign you to a desk until this is over with." Harris said in a clam voice. Williams glared at me but he shut up. Harris turned to me.

"So are you ready to answer some questions, Ms. Puckett?" I nodded, "Ok…first how strongly do you feel this umm…Carly aka Julia is the vampire doing this?"

"I am not sure…you asked for names I gave you one. She could do this…she has the power to…but she may not be the only one with that power. She is the only one of two that I have come across and I told you the other is dead."

"Ok…so it could be someone else." He muttered to his self and wrote in his notebook. "Now does she have a last name and you mentioned she was not attached to the area here…so that means she is not under control of the Master here?"

I shook my head, "No…no last names. Vampires…especially the older ones…don't go much for last names and oddly enough the older ones are very selfish of their names. They don't like other vampires taking their names. And no she is not attached as you say to the Master of the City here…she knows him…they share the same bloodline and maker but no she does not reside here." I giggle at the last part of the question. "Sorry…no the Master does not control her…that was why I was laughing…she is a lot older than him…and to be candid…she would chew him up and spit him out with just a thought if they fought."

Harris makes more notes, "So how old is she…do you know?"

I shrug, "Yeah…over two thousand year." I hear a long whistle from Stan and Harris looks up from his notebook.

"Is that important?" Harris asks. Man for the feds they know shit about vampires.

"Yeah you could say that. It means she is an ancient and very powerful. Let me try to explain it this way. We have…ummm…lest see…only eight Master's of the Cities in the U.S. Here, Vegas, New York, Savannah, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. There territories cover a lot of distance. The may be some other ones scattered around in other cities but those are the oldest ones. Now most are unknown who they are because it is almost a constant power struggle for them to hold onto what they have and if another stronger vampire comes in and knows you are the Master of the area they may challenge you. Not always but it does happen on occasion. Dante is the Master of the City in Seattle and he does not hide it because one…he is an arrogant son of a bitch. And two…Carly and him share makers and while they are not best buds they have an alliance and that alliance is known in the vampire world. No one will challenge him because of her. He is only around three maybe four hundred. The oldest Master of a city in our country is just over nine hundred…Boston. In other words…Carly could take over any city or cities she wanted with out stopping to breath…well they don't have to breath…but you get the idea."

He makes more notes, "So maybe it is a power struggle then? Maybe her or another vampire wants this Dante's city?"

I shake my head, "No…they have rules…strange I now but that do and they play by those rules to extent. Oh they try to bend them as much as possible, but they keep to the basics. If another vampire wanted the city he or she would have to challenge Dante and it would be a fight just between the two. They can draw upon the powers of their followers but mainly it is between just them."

He made even more notes, "Ok you seem to know a lot about not just the vampires but this Cary and Dante. How do you know her? Carly I mean."

I hated that question. How do I explain it? _Oh agent she and I had a real torrid love affair off and on for about seven years and the sex was just mind blowing until she broke my heart and I have not seen her in over a year_. No that was not good…how can I be the big bad vampire executioner if I was fucking one of them. A conflict of interest that would even have Stan telling me to pack up my cute ass and go home.

"I met her…lets just say she was the one who got away." I smile my cutesy smile at him.

"Oh so even _you_ had one slip between your fingers?" Williams sneered.

I glare at him and suddenly wished I was much more intimidating without a gun in my hand, "Yeah you could say that."

Harris closes his notebook, "Thank you for answering our questions, Ms. Puckett. If we have more we will be in touch. We have your number." He offers his hand again and I take it. Williams didn't and I would not have taken his anyway. After they leave Stan gently grabs my arm.

"Don't do it, Sam." He says.

I give him my best innocent look…yeah I have one. "Don't do what, Stan?"

"Don't play cute with me…you know what. I don't want you down there talking to Dante. This is a police investigation and you are not allowed to talk about it to anyone. You know that."

I shrug, "You can't stop me from going to Blood Alley for a little fun at the night clubs." I smile at him but he just gives me those cop eyes.

"You are not one for the male strip clubs, Sam. I could lock you up for forty eight hours you know?"

"But you wouldn't do that." I say and my smile was gone. The look in his eyes tell me he would. "Come on, Stan, you know they won't talk to the police. Even if you could get a warrant they are good at hiding something and they would never tell you the truth. Me they would at least talk to."

Stan sighed because he knew I was right. "You do not give him anything, Sam…I mean that. No details about this at all."

I give him a little salute, "Yeah got it, boss." He did not even chuckle.

"And you be careful…I mean real careful. Judy would kill me if you and your new boyfriend could not make it to our barbeque next weekend."

"I always am with them, Stan. You know that." I smile again at his concern.

"Yeah but I also meant something else…I don't want to have to find some dead bodies with your name on them…vampires or otherwise…clear."

Now I took offense to that one, "Stan…I was cleared on all those cases by self defense…you know that."

He chuckled, "Yeah…hard to prove anything when you are the only one living after the deed has been done. I am serious, Sam. Even my pull is getting weaker when it comes to you. There are several homicide cops who would live to put your ass in a sling."

"Stan, you know me…you know I would never just kill anyone or anything unless I had to or had a reason to.

"Yeah…but sometimes your reasons come a little to close to the line. Now go home. I'll call you if we need you again and you call me tomorrow with anything you learn tonight."

I nod and walk back to my car but take the time to give Zimmer a hard nudge and a quick wink as I walk by him. He just laughs and gives me an obscene way how I could repay him for defending my honor.

I get home and all I want is a shower and a nap. I check my machine and have two messages. The first is Michael reminding me of dinner tonight and he will pick me up at six. The next was from Mrs. Louis.

"Ms. Puckett, this is Mrs. Michelle Louis and I was just confirming out appointment for this evening at ten at the Rose Hill cemetery. If anything changes please give me a call. The attorneys will be there as well as the insurance people. Thank you."

Damn…glad she called or I may have forgotten. I had an appointment with her to raise her husband from the grave. He had been dead for a two months and the life insurance company was trying to get out paying on the million dollar policy claiming he was a suicide. The cause of death a shot to the head with a hand gun and the wife claims he was cleaning it.

Yeah I raise the dead. I am a necromancer and have that ability. About two years ago me and two other animators formed a company after I sold my Herbs Store. We all three can raise the dead and with all the new laws regarding magic the courts decided to let the dead speak for themselves as they say. The testimony of the dead is now considered legal. See Zombies can't lie. It is just the way it is. They have to tell the truth when raised. So why not bring them into the court room. One raising a Zombie has to be done at night. Two they only obey the person who raised them and three…what jury would want to see a zombie walk into a court room. It would not go over good. So I was approached by Martin Middleton and Ralph Caspers about going into business with them.

They are animators not necromancers so that means they know the spells and rituals and have the magic power to animate…raise…a corpse in the form of a zombie but their power comes from an outside source they have to draw upon. Me…mine is a natural power that comes from within me. True necromancers are rare and I have never met another one. So if they could raise the dead why did they need me? Because I could raise a corpse over a hundred years old…provided the sacrifice was right…and they couldn't. The best they could get was maybe ten or fifteen tears and the older the body the more the two men charge for the fee…which I get a large percentage of. I never raised a body that old. The oldest I did was a little over fifty years. The longer they had been dead the larger the sacrifice and over a hundred years I would need a human sacrifice and I don't do that…period! Tonight I could use a chicken.

I take my shower and change into a long sleeping tee shirt with the picture of a large wolf and leopard on it that says under the picture "We are People too"…a humorous gift from Mei when we were dating or…well sleeping together would be the right phrase...and crawl into bed. I close my eyes and all I can see is the face of Clarence Foskey greeting his faceless wife and two faceless children as he walked though a door of a house. His chest and stomach all ripped open as he picks his kids up in his arms and blood and intestines splatter on white carpet. I groan and reach under my bed and pull out a stuffed Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street and hold him tight as I drift off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I was getting ready for Michael to pick me up for our date at his parents and decided on wearing a dress. Michael's mother and father were pretty semi formal in their Sunday night dinners and while I much preferred to be casual I would at least try to blend in a little. I chose a simple black dress that was sleeveless and had spaghetti straps on the shoulders. It came about two inches above my knees. I looked over myself in the mirror and decided I would wear a thin sweater over the dress. It was not too cold outside but it did hide my scars and Michael's parents always frowned at them and his little brother was fascinated by them and how I got them. I slipped on a pair of heels over my thigh highs, not trying for the sexy thing here I hate wearing pantyhose, and looked at myself in the mirror again. I did decide on makeup tonight and thought I looked pretty damn cute. No that I was actually admiring myself…truth was I was trying to see if my 9mm Firestar would show under my sweater, another reason I wore it. I normally went out armed but not to my boyfriend's, God did I just call him my boyfriend…scary… family dinner but tonight was an exception. Too many strange things happened today and plus Henry was in town and regardless of what he told me I just was not one hundred percent sure he would not try something. It was always good to be packing when Henry was in town. Satisfied the gun was well hidden I went to the lobby of my apartment to wait for Michael and was mentally preparing myself with answers and excuses I would give to his parents on why I would not marry their son. They would not like the straight answers…I don't love him, he is just cannon fodder if the bad guys decided to come get me, and well…he is great looking, wonderful in bed…but hell…I don't love him. No those would not do.

Michael dropped me off at my apartment around eight thirty and after a few minutes of kissing in his car and telling him I had to work tonight so he could not come up I went upstairs to change. Dinner was ok…actually it was boring as hell. His parents are nice but kind of superior acting and while they like me a lot I think they would rather see Michael with someone…safer I guess the word would be. I think if I was nice sweet school teacher good old dad would force me to marry his son. I told Michael about having to work tonight but left out the part about going to visit Dante…it would just worry him and cause an argument. I go upstairs and change into just some black jeans and a black long sleeve tee shirt and black canvas sneakers. For some reason the clients expect me to wear all black when I raise their loved ones. Guess it makes me look like the part plus the blood stains don't show up that much. I had time to make a phone call I needed to make.

After the fourth ring the other line picked up, "Sinful Delights, how may I help you?" Sinful Delights was the name of the male strip club Dante owned, just one of his businesses (which all had to do with something sexual). It was a strip club that of course catered to mostly to woman and the strippers were either vampires or lycanthropes...both male and female. Hey who wouldn't want to see a show like that…well me for one. I had actually never been in the place. I heard they put on a fantastic show…well of course they did. Most people like to see vampires strip and maybe even volunteer for the show and get bit. Vampires and lycanthropes can just move a lot sexier than humans and sometimes the lycanthrope will even shift on stage…so I am told.

"Yes, I would like to speak to Dante please." I was all polite.

"Sorry, miss, but he is busy. We open at ten and close at dawn if you would care to come see the show." The male voice said rather rudely.

I sigh…I hated to do this but I had no choice, "Tell him it's Sam…Sam Puckett."

There was a long pause, "Umm…the…the Executioner?" He sounded scared and I figured he was one of the human employees.

"Yeah…tell him I am calling on pleasure not business." I tried to ease his fear a little.

"Yes, m'am…please hold on." See it worked.

After a few moments I hear the click of the call being transferred, "Aww…_ma Cherrie_, what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

The voice sends chills up my spine even over the phone and they were not chills of fear…but more intimate and sexual. I hated when he did this. "Cut the act, Dante, I need to talk to you tonight."

He laughed and again those damn chills…damn he was good. Dante came from the same bloodline as Carly and one of Cassandra's powers was sex. She even had one vampire she made who was a succubus and could actually feed off of sex and make someone, human or vampire, have such high sexual desire they would fuck the first thing that moved. She was a succubus vampire. Cassandra could do it as well as I found out the hard way. Carly did not gain that power at all but Dante did to an extent. He could not feed off of sex or make someone go crazy with desire but he damn sure could use his laugh and voice in such a way it made you feel all aroused and sexual.

"Oh, _ma petite_, what act am I doing to you?" He said again in his seductive voice. I hated when he called me ma petite. Dante kind of had a crush on me…well he has a crush on a lot of women but he sees me as someone who won't give in to him so it makes him try harder. I don't think he ever had a girl tell him no even when he was human. Not that he was not handsome…oh God far from it…Dante could be the poster boy for _Wet Dreams_ magazine if it existed. But he was a vampire and a powerful one at that and I think sleeping with one voluntarily in my lifetime was enough. Plus he was an arrogant bastard and I did not trust him.

"Stop it, Dante! I mean it! I need to talk…just talk. Tonight…I can come to the club around midnight."

"It would be my pleasure to see you again, _ma petite_; it had been a long time. Of course it is personal is it not?" His voice changed now. It held a hint of worry and no promises of sex.

"Yeah…actually a little of both…but my word I am not coming as the vampire executioner. I don't have a warrant for you or any of your people."

"Good…then it is fine. Midnight it is but not here at the club. Meet me here and we will go for a walk in the lovely moonlight." Again the hint of sex and I am beginning to regret this call.

"Why…not the club I mean?"

He laughs but this time it is actual humor, "Aww, _ma petite_, I cannot have the Executioner coming into my club. I am blood oathed to my followers and that means they are under my protection. How would it look if I allowed you of all people to come walking into my club on even partial business? They would think you came either for me or one of them and that would cause problems. If you came for one of them they may panic and if they thought you came for me they would protect me and I would hate to have your wonderful blood on my hands."

"Fine…and also…I want you to bring her as well. I need to talk to her." I did see his point about me going into his club. If it was just a girl's night out and I stopped by for the show it would not be such a big deal but I did tell him it was not all pleasure.

"Now…now…Samantha, I have to ask her if she will see you. I cannot order our sweet little cat and plus she makes Brianna and Tristan happy and they make her happy. Maybe you could see her after the dawn when they sleep." I could tell he was not happy since he used my name. He did sound a little pissed and I guess I don't blame him. I was being demanding and he was Master of the City and not used to someone demanding things from him especially a human. Sometimes with his flirting and the way he acted with me I did tend to forget he was a three hundred plus year old vampire and a master one at that. I should never forget that unless I wanted to end up dead or worse…one of them.

I sighed and hated to do this with Dante but I don't have much choice, "I'm asking here, Dante, not telling. I would really be grateful if you brought Mei with you. I need to ask her some things as well."

"That is much better, _ma petite_, I shall ask her to attend with me. Of course the final decision is hers. I know you may not believe it but she is not out prisoner. She came to us on her own and we do offer her protection." He said in his haughty voice.

"Yeah as well as other things…I just wish you would make her leave!" I was getting mad at the thought of Mei.

"Awww…_ma petite_, she is free to come and go but who would protect her then. She is an outcast with her pard and they have withdrawn all protection from her. She is able to still join their hunt on the full moon but they no longer protect her and we…I do."

"Fine…I am tired of this argument and have had it with her to many times. Please just ask her to be with you and…and tell her it is me who is asking."

"As you wish, _ma petite_, I will meet you at midnight." He used that damn voice again and I was suddenly wishing I had let Michael come up for the night….or at least for thirty minutes or so. The other line went dead and I hung up my end and thought of Mei.

Mei was a wereleopard, a onetime lover, and a good friend…or used to be. We argued about three months ago over something I really had not say in but felt like I wanted to protect her. That was how I always felt with her…I always wanted to protect her. Is was that way since we first met and she metaphysically bound herself to me as her protector years ago and while I gave that up when she joined her new pard I still had the urge to help and protect her. Well the problem was about a year ago she started playing with the vampires and that did not go over to well with her Nimir-Raj, king of her wereleopard pard. She was still a member of the pard and could hunt with them and join them on the full moon but he withdrew his protection from her. Might not be a big deal…I mean she is a wereleopard and much stronger and faster than a human so where was the harm, right? Well Mei is not an alpha which means she is submissive to the pard and a wereanimal not protected to a group of their own kind becomes meat for anyone else. So when Mei started playing with the vampires she gave up her protection.

Playing for Mei means two things. One she is not only a submissive wereleopard but a submissive in her personal life. She is into the whole bondage and discipline and whips and chains stuff and she kind of enjoys the pain…don't ask me why but she does…and as a lycanthrope she heals quickly and can take a lot of damage without being seriously hurt. That was one reason her and I stopped being lovers. I just could not give her that part of the life she wanted. The other part is well…she is in love with me or so she said. I loved her but not in that way…hell I still love her but again not in that way. The other way she plays with the vampires is as a snack for them. She allows then to feed off of her. Lycanthrope blood gives vampires and extra kick and boost of healing and makes them feel…well gives them a rush like a drug. Now she does not let all of them feed off of her like a buffet line but she allows the ones she happens to be with at the time take a little of her blood. She swears it is great and almost better than sex. That I can believe since I had been there. I allowed Carly to feed off of me a long time ago and she made it feel so good I had an orgasm just from that. Vampires…most of them…can make it feel that good and that is why there are so many vampire junkies out there. People who let vampires feed off of them. It can become like a drug. Of course the vampire can also make it painful…very painful…and a nightmare for you as well. I had that happen to me as well one time and I have yet to forget it.

So why did Mei start spending time with the vampires? I mean she is smart was going to med school and had a great life ahead of her. Well she got outed. Most lycanthropes try to keep there "disease", as the government now classifies it, a secret. While the laws protect employment rights and there are antidiscrimination laws to protect shapeshifters they still get fired on other trumped up charges. No one once a werecat surgeon operating on a loved one or a werewolf teaching their kids eight grade science. Fair…no but it happens. That happened to Mei and she was kicked out of med school for a framed cheating charge and then she had to tell her family back home in North Carolina what she was and they did not take it well. They disowned her. I hated them for it. I never met them bit to disown your own daughter for something she could not help to me was just damn wrong. Mei never asked to be attacked and infected! Well she was so distraught and felt her life was over she found herself playing with the vampires on occasion and now it was her full time life. She even lived with them now. Dante was right about some things, they did protect her and she was free to leave anytime she wanted. I tried to get her to leave three months ago and we fought and I have not spoken to her since.

I looked at the clock and see it is nine thirty and time to go raise a dead man as my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Stan.

"Yeah." I answered.

"We got a print, Sam, from the scene today. A good one and we also think we have a connection for the victims." Stan said without so much of a hello. But hey…that was him and I was used to it.

"Wow…a print? Of who and are you sure it is of one of the killers?"

"We are checking in to it. Girl by the name of Melissa Stanford, age seventeen, and she had not been to work in a month. Her parents did not even know she was missing since they kicked her out when she was sixteen due to drugs. She lives in an apartment on the south side. Her employer said she had not been too shown up at work in over a month and figured she just quit without telling them. I am getting a warrant to search her apartment and if we find anything we can get a warrant of execution for her."

"Ok…keep me updated. Now what is the connection with the victims?" I thought of the girl…Melissa. If she was turned only a month ago she was too new of a vampire to control her lust to feed. That meant she had to be controlled by a powerful master vamp to be able to just bite a man and not drink his blood. I have seen vampires as young as three months old go almost insane at just the scent of blood, but to have one stop at the taste of it meant the vampire controlling her would have to be old and powerful. That was not going to be good.

"Yeah they all three were of the same Freemasonic Lodge and all three were members of something called the Order of St. Thomas of Acon. According to the experts it is a Masonic order whose origins can be traced back to the Knights Templar. The feds are looking into other reported serial killings in other cities to see if there have been other victims that fit the profile."

"Wow…Masons and vampires and even the Knights Templar. Sounds like a Dan Brown novel meets Stephan King. How much of that can I tell Dante?"

"Umm…not much but you can ask him if there is any connection between vampires and Masons or the Templar." Stan said in a stern tone. He was still pissed I was going to visit the bad guys tonight.

"Well the Templar were a religious and a military organizations and devout Catholics. It is known the Church has been aware of the existence of vampires for centuries. Hell they even had holy vampire hunters go after them. I would assume there is some connection."

"Yeah I would too. But didn't the Templar Knights almost get wiped out by the same Church when it accused them of heresy hundred of years ago?" Stan asked

"Yeah but that was not the real reason. They and the king of France just felt the Knights Templar were getting to powerful and wealthy to control so they trumped up the charges. There was a lot more to it than that…kidnapping and rumored assassination of a pope by the king of France but in the end it was the Knights who paid the price for pissing off a king. Did you know that is why people fear Friday the Thirteenth as an unlucky day?"

"How so?"

I giggle, "Well some people believe it is a bad luck day because it was on a Friday the Thirteenth that the Knights were arrested all across Europe. See unlucky day."

"Go to work, Sam." Stan said with a chuckle and hung up the phone.

I drove to the cemetery and as I got closer I hated where I was going. I was not raising the dead I hated; I had gotten used to that idea a long time ago. No I hated the particular cemetery I was headed to. There were two in the city I hated to work at. One where my sister was buried and the other one was this one. Where my best friend and someone I loved like a brother was buried at. I knew Freddie ever since I was eight and we were close even if I never let him know it but he knew without me telling him. He was murdered years ago by some vampires and I killed them. They were the few vampires I killed for pleasure…hell if they had been human I would have done the same. I smiled as I glanced at the fresh flowers on my passenger seat I would put on his grave when I was done with work. God I missed that dork boy a lot. When I got to the cemetery and drove around to the grave I parked my car and unloaded my zombie raising gear. Nothing magical to just anyone but me and others of my craft…a duffel bag that contained salt, a large knife, a large silver cup, a mixture of an ointment of rosemary to give the zombie memory, cinnamon cloves for preservation of the body, sage for wisdom, and thyme to bind it all together. The salt was for putting the body back. I then pull the cage with a live chicken from the back seat and was thankful it was just a chicken. I hated using a goat and got to the point when I had to use one I did not name it before hand. It is easier to kill something you have not named. Chickens were not a cute as goats but it was still a helpless animal but what could I do? Raising the dead needed blood and the zombie was going to be hungry when it came from the ground and I sure as hell was not going to use my on blood. I did that once and it just creeped my out.

As I walked up the meet the clients and insurance people and the attorneys I frowned at the site of the little girl who looked about ten or eleven and so cute in her blue dress and black Mary Jane shoes. She was holding Mrs. Louis's hand and the hand of another man.

"Is that your daughter?" I ask Mrs. Louis.

"Why yes she is. Her name is Nina." She says proudly with a large smile. "And this is my brother Frank."

I smiled at the cute girl who looked very nervous and she gave me a shy smile back. Damn she was cute. Frank offered his hand but I ignored it and leaned in close to Mrs. Louis, "Have her wait in the car or better yet have Frank take her home." I told her politely.

She blinks at shakes her head. "No she has a right to be here. It was her father after all."

I smile my nice fake smile turn to the insurance men and the attorneys. "Deals off, fellows, come by the office tomorrow and I'll see you get a full refund." I start walking back to my car when I hear Mrs. Louis call my name and I turn to see her running after me. Little Nina was still clutching her uncle's hand.

"Ms. Puckett, we paid good money for this and I want it settled tonight." She told me angrily when she stood next to me.

"And I will be happy to do my job once your daughter leaves." I replied back just as firm.

"Why? Why must she leave? It is her father for God's sake."

It hit me she just did not understand what was going to happen tonight. "Yes and that is why she needs to leave. I am going to raise him, Mrs. Louis. You are not going to hear just his voice from the grave speaking to you through me. I am not a medium but a necromancer. You are going to see him rise from the damn ground and he is going to know you, your brother, and his little girl." I say calmly hoping she will understand, "When I raise someone, Michelle, I do a damn good job. He is not going to look like some movie zombie. He is going to look like he did the last time he kissed you goodnight and when we are done I have to put him back. Do you understand that? Don't make your girl watch her father be put into the cold ground twice. Trust me…it hurts more the second time…I know."

I could see her face pale even in the moonlight and she nodded and walked back to her brother and daughter. I saw her kiss her daughter's cheek as she hugged her and Frank lead Nina to their car and I saw them leave. I walked back to the grave site and Mrs. Louis whispered her thanks and apologies and told me they were going to get some ice cream and come back after she called them. I nodded and then prepared for the ritual required to bring Walter Louis back from the grave. Well his body at least. His soul is gone forever and that will never come back.

I draw a circle in the dirt with the knife that had been blessed by a priest around the grave. When done I picked up the chicken and cut the poor things throat and let its blood spill into the silver cup. When drained and I have enough blood I start dripping the blood along the lines of the circle to complete the power. I could feel the energy flow from my body into the circle of power like an electrical current going from me to the circle. It did not hurt and felt pleasing as the power released from me. I was once told that as a true necromancer if I did not use my power to raise the dead it would eventually consume me and kill me. Every time the power flowed from my body in the pleasing release I knew that was true. Once the circle was done and it glowed faintly with the power it drew from me I walked to the headstone, careful not to step outside the circle, and spread the ointment on my face, my fingertips, and then on the headstone. Once done I dropped to my knees and raised my hands in the air, a useless gesture but it added to the dramatics that people wanted to see.

"Walter Louis! Hear me, Walter Louis; I call you from the grave. By blood, steel, and magic I call you forth." I called out.

Now the next part always amazed me when I saw it. The body did not rise up like the movies with a hand coming from the ground followed by the body. No the earth peeled apart like it was attached to a giant zipper…all six feet of it. There was no earth shaking or anything just the ground peeling apart. I had to step back a foot being careful not to step out of the circle of power as I heard the coffin open. Next I heard gasps from everyone else as Walter climbed out of his grave and looked around with a confused look on his face. He was dressed in a now tattering navy pin stripped suit. He looked good for a dead man.

My zombies always looked good and alive. I had seen my partners and mentor at this raise a zombie and they looked like that…a zombie, but mine regardless of the age looked as good in life as they did in death. I even had one man offer me a million dollars to raise Marylyn Monroe's body so he could have sex with her. Yeah there are a lot of sick freaks in the world and I meet most of them for some reason. I declined his offer of course. My mentor, Anthony Stratham who is an animator, told me it was because I was a true necromancer and not just someone with the magical ability to animate a corpse. He told me he had seen some voodoo priests and priestess do the same but their magic was different…theirs was evil and I was warned to stay away from them. There was a vaudin priestess in Seattle who contacted me on occasion to just meet with me and discuss our trade but I always refused her invitation…politely of course. It did not bode well to piss off a voodoo priestess. True Walter would began to rot after days, how many I did not know since I always put them back when I was done, but he would eventually.

Walter looked at me and grunted after he looked at his wife. His eyes looked sad after her saw her. I walked to him and raised the cup of chicken blood to his lips and allowed him to drink. A zombie needed fresh blood to talk. I heard his wife start crying and I knew now she understood why I had her daughter leave. Walter drank the blood and brought his hands to the cup.

"Stop…no more." I commanded. I needed some left to put him back.

The zombie stopped and dropped his hands back to his sides. He would obey anything I told him to. He was mine and I controlled him. If I told him to dance a jig he would, if I told him to stand on his head he would, and if I told him to kill everyone in the cemetery he would without hesitation. I owned Walter's body and mind. He looked at me and then his wife.

"Michelle...sweet Michelle…what happened to me? Where is Nina?" Walter asked his wife now that he could talk. He would remember everything up until the moment he died and the bad thing was being so newly dead he had forgotten he died.

"Walter, you are dead. You must answer my questions now." I tell the zombie and he looked from his sobbing wife to me.

"Ask him…it…how he died. Ask it if he killed himself." The insurance man yelled.

I turn to him, "No…that question is too generic. He did kill himself even if by accident and will answer yes. You need to be more specific."

"Ask him what happened to him then?" Mrs. Louis's attorney asked and the court reporter started to write down her notes for the judge.

"Walter, tell me what happened to you the night you died." I ask.

"Died…I…I am dead?" He gives me a confused look.

"Yes, Walter, you are dead. Tell me what happened." I repeat the question.

"I…I…yes I remember now." He gives me a look of embarrassment and then looks at his wife. "I am sorry, Michelle, please forgive me and tell Nina I am sorry." He looks back at me. "I was cleaning my gun and it went off. It was an accident and I should have known better. Oh God I am so sorry I left you, Michelle." He pleads and Michelle starts crying harder. And that was it. Zombies can't lie…they have to tell the truth even if I told him to lie he couldn't. The court reporter made her last notes and everyone started to leave but his wife. I turn to her.

"Anything you would like to tell him?" It was not like he was going to remember but her grief was so sincere I had to ask.

"I…I love you, Walter…God I love you so much. You made me so happy while we where married and I miss you and Nina misses you." She cried and I admit it almost brought tears to my eyes as well.

"I love you as well, Michelle, and tell Nina I miss her and love her and I am sorry." Walter turns to me, "Do I have to go back?"

I nod, "Yes you have to go back." I look at his wife, "I can wait until you leave." She nods her thanks and pulls her cell phone from her purse and I see her calling someone…I assume her brother…as she walked away to the parked cars. I turn back to Walter and pull out the box of salt.

"Open your mouth, Walter." He does as I tell him and I poor salt in his mouth and then I trace the circle of power with more blood and the salt. "Go back now, Walter Louis. Go back to your grave. By blood, steal, magic, and salt I command you to go back." Walter did not cry out or try to fight, they never did, he just climbed back into his coffin, closed the lid, and the ground folded over him like it never had been disturbed. I feel the energy release from me as the circle of power closed and Walter Louis was once more just a dead body in his grave.

I cleaned up my mess and placed the dead chicken in the cage and walked back to my car. Once everything was in the trunk I used sanitized hand wipes to clean the blood from my hands and the other parts of my bare skin it sprayed on as best I could and then got in the car. I drove to Freddie's grave, smiled when I saw his mom had replaced the dead flowers with fresh ones (she always did and came to visit him every weekend), placed my flowers next to hers, and cried a little over him. I left and drove home to change quickly before I went to go visit Dante and wash my hands to get the chicken blood from under and around my finger nails.


	5. Chapter 5

As I drove to my "date" with a vampire I kept wondering about the murder and the connection between the victims. Could it have something to do with the Free Masons and even the Knights Templar? Maybe it was just a coincidence. The problem was when it came to vampires I did not believe in coincidences. A master vampire had to be involved and the only ones I knew of in the city were Dante and his second Tristan. All the other vampires in the city were not masters and while a few were old they would never be master vampires. I know this was not Dante's doing. He may be a lot of things but a serial killer no way. Tristan I never met and really never hoped to. All I knew about him was that he came to Dante about a year ago seeking Dante's protection as his new master. I don't think he was behind it because Dante would not allow him to live if he was. That meant either one of two things. One was that Dante was hiding something or someone who could be behind the murders or two we had a rogue master vampire loose in the city. A powerful one at that if Dante did not know he or she was here. Being Master of a City gave certain powers and one of those powers was the ability to sense other master vamps in your territory. If Dante could not sense one then he or she had power...Carly type power.

I drove around trying to find a parking space close to Sinful Delights and had not luck. Blood Alley was always very crowded at night and Dante's clubs were the main attraction. I finally settled on one about two blocks away. Before I get out of my car I open the center console and pull out a silver cross on a chain. I was already wearing one but to me you could not have enough so I always carried more than one spare. I get out of the car, put the cross in my pocket, and slip on a light slightly oversized leather jacket to hide my shoulder holster that contained my HP 9mm Practical. I was licensed to carry a weapon concealed or otherwise but I hid it as not to frighten the number of tourists in the area. It also covered my three silver and steel bladed throwing knives attached to my wrist by a leather carrying sheath. Paranoid me? Well I am in vampire territory so better safe than sorry. Sorry could get me killed. As I walked the two blocks to Sinful Delights I pass one of Dante's other clubs and pick up my pace without even glancing at the large blood red lights from the neon sign. There of course was a line outside the club of people almost drooling to get in. _Animals in Chains_ was a BDSM club…that's bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism…and where Mei worked, and not as a waitress either.

The club catered to like minded people into that whole scene and boasted of strippers and live dominance sessions on stage. Most of the workers were vampires or lycanthropes. The lycanthrope community had not problem with their members working at such clubs like this one and Sinful Delights…it was when they decided to be snacks for the vampires like Mei when they drew the line. I never been in there of course but I had an undercover police officer tell me one time he worked on a case where he had to go inside several times and told me it was not to bad on the stage but behind closed doors and in the back rooms was where the real action took place. The vice squad used to raid the place on occasion but found out everything was consensual and no money changed hands so all was legal. I normally don't judge people and to each his own but I hated the place for one simple reason. Mei worked there and was part of the stage show three nights a week and every Saturday night. From what the undercover cop told me when I asked…her show was the most popular and she really took an intense whipping while on stage. He started to give me a little more detail but I stopped him after the word whipping.

I walk to the strip club and see the long line of mostly females waiting to get in and even some couples and single males. I smile when I walked to the front of the line and was let in immediately and heard the complaints from the waiting crowd. I wanted to tell them I would not be staying long but just let it go. The doorman who let me in was a vampire and a big one at that. He must have weighed close to three hundred pounds and stood at least six five and all muscle. He smiled at me and flashed his fangs and I just rolled my eyes. I felt his age and grinned. He was less than fifty years old and still a newbie. I would not want to fight him one on one of course vampire of not but his vampire skills would not work on me. One of the benefits of being necromancy was I had certain powers when it came to the dead besides raising them from the ground and vampires were the dead. I could sense their age and after years of practice I was pretty damn good at it and could get it right within a decade or two. Another thing I could do that pissed the vampires off was look them in the eyes. Well most of them. The younger ones and even a few of the older ones could not vamp me at all. Oh some could if they were old enough or powerful enough. Carly could after a slight struggle if I fought her…sometimes I didn't fight her…ummm…like when we were having sex. Letting her into her mind during sex was just a huge mind blowing experience in a very good way. But she could get inside of my mind and roll me if she tried hard and once in there she could do things no other vampire I had ever met could…with the exception of Cassandra. Cassandra got into my mind without even blinking hard. I met a few who were younger who could get inside my head with ease it just depended on their particular talent they may have. But this doorman…he was just too easy to shield out and he hated it.

"Wait here." He said in a pissed off tone and left me waiting in a side room at the club entrance. It was not long when I felt Dante before I saw him. His power washed over me in a sexual way and I shivered and not from fear or the cold. I turned around.

"Stop it! I hate when you do that!" I tell him harshly. The bastard just laughed at me and I started regretting coming down here as his seductive laugh washed over me.

I look at him hard and that was mistake number two. Damn he was handsome…no he was beautiful. Dante wore his long straight black hair loose about three inches past his shoulders. His face was lovely. I know men hate to be called lovely and beautiful but there was no other way to describe him. He looked almost feminine but with just the right amount of masculinity not to think of him as anything but a man…well a male vampire. Dante wore a blood red shirt that was open at his chest to reveal his pale muscular chest and I could see the cross shaped scar above his tight nipple. I did not know when or how he got it and honestly I did not care. The scar was just to damn close to his nipple and so damn sexy I was afraid if I asked he would show me more. His muscles were not like the doorman's but he had the build of a male model or swimmer. His pants were black and were tucked into shiny black leather thigh high boots. He was dressed like an extra in a Three Musketeers movie but he could pull it off very well.

"Can we just get this over with?" I muttered.

"Why_, ma petite_, why the rush? Can't I enjoy your company for a while?" God I hate that voice when he does that.

I look up into his gorgeous blue eyes and a point for me. He could not vamp me and he knew it and it really pissed him off. I smiled at his frown. "Let's just go for out walk and talk, Dante." I look around, "Where is Mei?"

He smiles again, "She declined to come. She said…let me get her exact words…that girl has no right to order me around and I will see her when I want to and not when she wants to…she sounded quite upset."

"Fine…lets just get out of here." I walked past him toward the door and he laughs again at my discomfort and I shiver once more. Damn him…damn him…damn him!

We did not walk far when he spoke first, "So, _ma petite_, when are you going to come visit me on a social call and not for business. I have sent you flowers and invitations to the theater and you decline them all. The last flowers I sent you were returned to me. That was very rude you know."

"I am not a flower or theater type girl, Dante. I like the movies and candy."

"I will remember that the next time. So why are you here, _ma petite_? How may I be of humble service to you?"

I laugh at that, "You humble…please…you are the most arrogant person I have ever met. I am here for two reasons. One is about a murder…three actually…and the other," I stop and look up at him, "I need to know if you have heard from Carly, Dante." Damn did my voice actually soften just then? I need to pull myself together.

Dante gave me a sad smile…one of pity and I hated that more than his flirting, "No, _ma petite_, I have not heard from her since her last visit to our city. I would suspect you would hear from her before I would anyway."

"Do you know where she is?"

He starts walking again and I follow, "No I don't and well…I feel for you, Samantha, I truly do…but she is not my concern." Something about the way he said it made me stop.

"You…you don't want her here do you? You could care less if she ever comes back." I say angrily.

He turns to me, "You are correct, _ma petite_, I hope she never comes back."

I look at him in shock, "Why…she helped you. She gave you the city, Dante. She helped you maintain your power here!"

"That is exactly why I am glad she is not here, Sam. I like Julia…sorry Carly…and consider her a friend and we vampires do not have many friends." He looks down and me and gives me an evil smile. "You know how we rule,_ ma petite_, you know how we maintain control. We do so with fear. I am not as bad as Cassandra was…far from it, but we would rather have our subjects fear and respect us than to love us. My vampires fear her more than me and I cannot have that. I rule here and not her…hell some of them fear you more than me much to my displeasure. You have attracted the attention of the council and they see you almost as they see the Reaper…very dangerous."

"Don't compare me to Henry, Dante. I am nothing like him. I kill only to when I have to and it is legal you know that." I snap as I feel my temper rise. A case of a girl protests to much maybe?

He laughs that seductive laugh, "Yes but how many of my kind have you killed when not on the side of the law, _ma petite_? I remember three master vampires you murdered out of revenge. Not that I was upset with their deaths in any way. I was grateful you killed them since they came to my territory unannounced."

"Yeah but they killed a friend of mine, Dante, and I did not care if they were vampire, shapeshifter or human…I would have killed the regardless of what they were. Freddie was on my list, Dante. I have a short mental list of people I would kill for if harm came to them and he was on it. Mei is on that list and so is Carly."

The vampire's face turned from seductive to anger and I took a step back in fear. He was not longer the flirty vampire I felt no threat from…now he was a four hundred year old master vampire that could easily kill me with a single punch or bite.

"Are you threatening me, Samantha?" His voice once again sent shivers up my spine but this time in fear.

I swallow hard and stare at him as my hand found itself inside my jacket and my fingers touched the handle of my pistol. "N…No. A warning, Dante. Don't fuck with those I care about."

Dante laughs and it is a true laugh of humor, "I do not harm the cat, _ma petite_, she plays willingly with us. I do not get off on that kind of sexual behavior but I have some that do and she is always so willing I am told. And Carly…well she would kill me with just a thought of her power. I like you, Samantha, I lust after you and I would never harm you unless you gave me good reason to nor would I harm the ones you care for. But I warn you as well…do not let my affection for you make you careless, _ma petite_, I am not without power."

I give him my best charming smile, "Well I don't like you and if we ever dance it will not be for pleasure, Dante, you and I will dance the dance of death." Damn I love quoting Henry's clichés sometimes…they sound so cool.

He laughs again and as the pleasure wraps around me I wonder how much trouble I would get into if I just shot him now. No too many witnesses on the streets…damn. "Do not deny your lust for me, _ma petite_, I can sense your desire."

"Lust is one thing, Dante, it is something I can control…now about the other thing. Besides you and Tristan are there any other master vampires in the city you are aware of?"

"Yes one…she serves me and has given me her blood oath. Why do you ask?"

"Who is she and how much power does she have?" I ignore his question.

"Ahhh, dear girl, you know her…she has power but not as great as mine or Tristan's. Carina."

I am so shocked that I take another step back. "No…you…Carly destroyed her…I…I thought Carly destroyed her?" Carina was…is…a child vampire who was turned when she was only ten by a master vampire who was a pedophile. Before he got a chance to abuse her he was killed by two brothers of his line for that reason. The brothers loved the girl like a daughter and refused to destroy her as the vampire council had degreed. For all their evil they do have some morals and turning a human under the age of thirteen is against their laws. The U.S. has its own law that no one can be turned under eighteen. If they are then the vampire who did it would have to be executed. Carina I met once and she is not just a beautiful little girl but she is also a sadist. She is close to three hundred years old and a master vampire who would never grow old. She would never be able to experience what it was like to have a woman's body and she hated that. She would never be able to experience the pleasure of sex so as a substitute for sex she found she could be satisfied by giving pain and from what Carly told me about her she is very good at it.

Dante shrugged, "Yes Carly destroyed her…or thought she did. But when she ordered the girl's heart to be cut out and her head to be cut off I stopped those who were going to do it. I just could not allow her to be killed so I gave her blood and she healed. I am fond of her."

"Whatever…just control her, Dante. And be careful. If the council finds out she is here they will come for her and it will be a bloodbath. I don't want a vampire war in my city. So that is it then…no more?"

"No, _ma petite_, now tell me why do you ask?"

I tell him about the three murders but leave out certain details Stan told me to leave out. I just give him the basics to let him know and to see if he agrees that a master vampire had to be behind it. He did.

"Yes…and if one is in my territory and I cannot sense him then he does have power. I will have Tristan look into the matter and see if we can uncover anything."

"Ok…but come to me first, Dante, do not handle this yourself. This is a police matter not a vampire one. Now could there be any connection to vampires and the Knights Templar or the Free Mason's?"

"Of course there is, _ma petite_. Our history with them go back ever since they were founded. How much do you know of these so called holy knights?

I shrug, "Not much…I mean a little but I am no expert."

He smiles at me and I feel it…ok yeah I admit it…I lust after the arrogant bastard! I would never do anything with him but it is there and the worse part is he damn well knows I lust after him. Damn him! "Do you know why they went to what you humans call the Holy Land?"

"Yeah…to fight the Muslims, to free the Holy Land, and to protect the people on their pilgrimage from bandits and so forth…it was also rumored they found the treasures of King Solomon…etc…etc."

"Yes that is some of the reasons why they went but also they were commissioned by your Holy Church to hunt and kill vampires and they were good at it." He grins at me, "You would have made an excellent Knight Templar if they allowed women to become one of their order." I just roll my eyes and let him continue. "They were sent to the Crusades to clear the Holy Land and the ruins of Solomon's temple of the vampires who took up residence there and to cleanse it of the evil of our kind. But they drew to much attention from the vampire council and the king of France…this King Phillip…was used to destroy them. He was seduced by a vampire and took her as his lover…or rather she used him by order of the council."

"Carly." I whisper aloud without meaning to and Dante's smile confirmed my thought.

"Yes…Carly did Cassandra's bidding and took Phillip as her lover. Cassandra owed the council a favor and that was her payment of that debt. No one can resist Carly, _ma petite_, as you are well aware of."

"Fuck you, Dante! What we had was different and you damn well know it! She never used her mind tricks on me." I was mad and jealous. Damn jealous of someone who died hundreds of years ago. God I need to get her out of my head and my heart! "So who would hold a grudge against them…the Knights? Would she? Could she be behind this…maybe finishing what she started?"

Dante just laughed at my question, "Oh, my dear beautiful human girl, Carly did as she was commanded and not of her own free will. She despised Phillip immensely but did as she had to. She was never one for vampire politics you know that. She has accrued the wrath of the council many times over for her unwillingness to play their game. No she would not do this. This is not her style. If Carly wanted anyone dead your police would not even know where to begin to look when and if they found they found the body."

"So who and why? I mean that was hundreds of years ago. I know you vampires can hold a grudge so there must be a reason."

Dante shrugs, "Maybe…there was a small group of the Knights who thought they could cure vampires…to chase the evil demons out of them. They would capture a vampire and use holy water on them until the evil was gone or the vampire was destroyed. You of all people know what holy water will do to us."

I nodded; yeah I knew. I used it before but not to torture. I may hate them but I would never torture them. Holy water burns vampires like acid and leaves scars that they cannot heal. "So maybe a vampire who was caught and tortured and still wants revenge?"

"Maybe, _ma petite_…this I do not know but I will look into who is in my territory without my permission and let you know before I take matters into my own hands." Dante steps to me and I never see him move.

One second he is about four feet from me and the next his is only inches from me. If he wanted to kill me or bite me I never would have had time to even get my hand inside my jacket to my gun. Lucky for me it was neither but what he wanted I still did not like. He runs his hands through my hair and I feel his energy wash over me and it is pure lust and sex. I let out an unwilling moan of pleasure as he leans down to kiss me. Just as I lean forward to accept his kiss he pulls back and laughs.

"Damn you, Dante! Never do that again or I will kill you." I say as I shake my head to clear of my thoughts and step back. He just laughs at me. I knew the point he was trying to prove. He was proving to me he had power and I was not to underestimate him. It worked.

"Awww, _ma petite_, I would never take you unwillingly. When I have you it will be you coming to me on your own free will."

"That will be a long wait, Dante…even you will not live that long and I know I sure as hell won't."

"Maybe…maybe not. Our conversation is at an end I fear…unless you care to join me for more personal reasons?" He gives me a look and then smiles, "No…then I bid you good night, ma petite." He turns and walks away.

"Dante! Wait!" I yell after him and he turns, "Carly…if you know where she may be…please let me know."

Dante nods, "That I will do, _ma petite_, even through if makes me envious I will let you know. But I warn you, Samantha, as I said…she does not play the game like the rest of us and if the council has her then you had best forget about her." He turns and walks back to his club.

I make my way back to my car and all I can think about is Carly. I try to think about the murder case and what Dante told me but the only thing that consumes me is Carly's safety and where she may be. If the vampire council had her for whatever reason she was either dead or wished she was. They were made up of seven of the most powerful vampires alive…well undead. They were not elected but got their seats on the council by bloodshed. The only way to replace them was to challenge one of them in a fight to the death. Of the seven six ruled and made the laws. The seventh slept and had been asleep for thousands of years. Lilith the Mother of All vampires. None knew why she slept…maybe she got bored for being around for so long. There were a few of the real old ones who slept due to the world no longer held their interests. What ever the reason most of them were glad she was asleep. Yeah if they had Carly then she was beyond my help even if I knew who and where each of the council members were and rested. They were beyond me and I hated the thought of not being able to help her.

As I crossed the parking lot to my car I caught a blur out of the corner of my eye and cursed myself for being careless as my hand went inside my jacket to pull my pistol. I was not fast enough. I would never be fast enough when caught by surprise by one of them. Something slammed into me from behind with such force I fell to the ground and skidded several feet on the pavement; ripping holes in my jeans and removing the skin from my knees and even the palm of my left hand as I tried to brace myself. I moan and tried to get up when I realized my back hurt as if slashed by several knives. Fuck! It ripped me with vampire nails. A vampires nails were like steel and they could cut through titanium like it was warm butter. I look around and see my pistol about six feet in front of me on the ground. I would never make it. As I got to my knees I hear the vampire behind me.

"Leave her alone, human! She is mine!" The words were female…a female sounding demon.

I turn and see a very beautiful vampire with long blonde hair about eight feet from me. Yeah no way I was getting to my gun. She would be on me in less than a second. I tried another tactic. Stall and maybe a passerby would see and go get help. No that would not do…the passerby could end up dead and I could not have an innocent's blood on my hands. I needed to do this alone and do it quick. Either win or die.

"Who…leave who alone?" I ask to give me time to stand up.

"Mei…she is mine and no longer yours." The vampire hisses again as she eyes me.

"I never claimed her…she is just a friend and nothing more. Trust me on that one." I tell the vampire as I try my best to nonchalantly move closer to my gun.

"I will not let you have her. You will die first." She screams and then gives me a curious look as I move slowly to my pistol and keep my eyes on her. "How come you can meet my eyes? How come I have no power over you? Tell me, human!"

I smile and shrug, "Lucky I guess." I move another foot closer. "Maybe that is why Mei likes me so much…the blood suckers don't affect me like the do the rest of the humans and she finds it sexy." She hisses and moves. Great, Sam…just fucking great! Piss off a vampire while you are unarmed. Me and my big mouth! But she does not move to me instead she moves to my gun and kicks it. Well that was lovely.

"I will kill you, girl!" She screams and I feel her energy hit me and I stagger back and fall to my knees.

I quickly reach under my jacket sleeve and pull one of my knives. I get it out just in time to bury it in deep in her throat as she lunged at me with her white fangs closing in on my neck. It would not kill her but it was a sliver and steel knife and the silver sure as hell would hurt her until I could get out another knife or get to my gun. As she staggers back I decide another knife since I did not know if I had time to go for my gun. I curse myself for not bringing my back up pistol. As I pull the second knife I freeze when I hear the vampire laugh and see her pull my knife out of her throat spraying blood.

"Silly, human, I am immune to silver. And I was told you were to be feared." She smiles. I must have missed her vocal cords since she could still talk. I see the wound close rapidly. That was not supposed to happen. Wounds of made from silver should not heal that fast on a vampire. Well hell this was new to me.

"Fuck me." I mutter and stay on my knees gripping my knife. I reach under my shirt and pull my cross out. "Are you immune to this, bitch?" I yell and white blinding light shines from my cross that grows warm in my hand and the vampire screams and covers her eyes and hisses at me. In the hands of an non believer like an atheist the cross would be useless but in the hands of a believer it was a powerful weapon against even the oldest vampire. I never met one yet that could resist the power of a true holy symbol. As I made my way to my gun, never turning my back on the vampire, and holding the cross in front of me I promised myself when I said my prayers tonight…well this morning…before I went to bed I would ask God to forgive me for trusting too much on my man made weapons and not in Him.

"You don't fight fair, Executioner!" The vampire screams and her voice no longer holds power but sounds weak and afraid.

"Damn right I don't!" I yell back as I pick up my gun. I bring it up level with her head and start to aim as I feel my mind slipping into that special space…my killing space.

"Enough Brianna!" I pause as I hear Dante's voice. The was no sex in the voice this time but raw power and once again I had to remind myself never to forget how powerful he really is. "Put the cross away, Samantha. She will not harm you."

"Fuck that…the bitch tried to kill me. She dies!" I yell to the darkness. I was not turning my back on the female vampire. I knew Dante was behind me but he would not be able to get to me as long as I had my cross out.

"I will handle her, _ma petite_. She is just jealous of you and our lovely wereleopard. Brianna is very fond of Mei. You can understand jealousy can you not, _ma petite_? I promise she will not go unpunished for attacking you and harming you." Dante said calmly.

"Damn right she will be punished…her punishment is death!" I yell back and my finger clicks off the safety of my pistol and I am about to gently squeeze the trigger when Dante's voice stops me. It was not his power but the words.

"There are too many people watching now, Samantha. You do not have an order of execution for her and they did not see the start of the fight. To them and what they may tell the police you just killed her when she was defenseless. Please, _ma petite_, I will handle her." It was the please that made me lower the gun and look around.

Dante was right we had attracted a small crowd. With the slash marks on my back I feel are bleeding I may be able to get away with self defense but most of the humans who come down to Blood Alley are vampire freaks and like the bastards. They would tell the police I had a helpless vampire in my line and sights and killed her and from Stan's warning earlier today some homicide detective with a hard on for me would believe them and up on murder charges I go.

"Fuck! If she comes for me again, Dante, she dies." I yell over my shoulder and then look at Brianna, "You hear me, bitch! You come for me again I you don't walk away!" I holster my pistol, pick up my knife she threw on the ground, and walk to my car still holding my cross out.

"Leave her alone, Executioner! She is mine." Brianna screams. "Please leave her alone!" She actually pleads. Damn I almost feel sorry for her…almost but not quite. I would still kill her if she came after me again.

I wince in pain as I get into my car and drove home. I look at the clock in my car and see it is a little after four in the morning. Yippee skippee…another late night for me.


	6. Chapter 6

I got home a little after four thirty in the morning and my back burned with the pain. I should have hit the emergency room just in case but I hate hospitals. I would look over myself in the mirror and see if I may need stitches or not and if so I would go to the emergency room to get fixed up. It would not be the first time and sure as hell won't be the last if I kept on doing what I do…and to be honest…I was not giving it up. I did not get a rush or thrill out of killing the monsters. I really didn't…did I? I mean I was not like Henry was I? I was not a psychopath right? I killed them because it was my job as a licensed executioner and did it to protect the public. Yes that was it. God please let that be the reason why I did it. Don't let me be like Henry.

I make my way up the stairs to my apartment and as I place the key in the dead bolt to unlock it I notice it turned to easy. It was not locked and I knew I locked it before I left. I drew my pistol and counted to twenty. This is just great…I get my cute ass handed to me in a fight with a vampire tonight and now someone is in my apartment. Could I get any luckier? I knew it was not a vampire because the only one I ever gave permission to enter my home was Carly…could it be her? My heart beats faster at the thought. No…the night was not that good to me. Henry maybe? Maybe but I doubted it…he gave me forty eight hours and that meant forty eight hours. Maybe just a good ole fashioned burglar. Could I get so lucky? God I hope so. I press me ear to the door and step back in surprise. I heard music. If it was a burglar he liked to listen to alternative rock. Sounded like Evanescence to me. I press my head to the door again. Yeah that was them. I can hear _Call me when your sober_ playing. That leaves out Carly. She is a fan of the classical stuff like Mozart and Beethoven and others whose names I can never remember. I did not like her style of music she would make me listen to over and over again but I did smile at the thought of it and well…damn I missed it…I missed her. I crack open the door and peak inside and see no one but I do hear the music. I walk in the apartment with my gun in front of me at eye level in a two handed grip and shut the door quietly with my foot. I then notice something else…the smell. It smells like bacon. Hell a thief with good taste in music and who can cook bacon. I may not kill him but marry him. I love bacon. I can see the kitchen from where I am standing and smile as I put my gun away.

"That is a damn sure way to get yourself killed?" I yell at the figure in the kitchen. She drops the two eggs in her hand when the sound of my voice made her jump and turns to me as I walk into the kitchen.

"Damn it, Sam, look what you made me do!" Mei yells at me and bends down to clean up the mess. I gave her a key when I first moved in and when we were dating. I never asked for it back…I never wanted to. She was always welcome here.

I smile as I look her over. I had not seen her in a little over three months and I missed her…I missed her a lot. I admit she looks good…hell she always looks good. She was shorter than me and stood only about five one of five two. Very petite but with the right curves for someone her size. I always thought her small tight body was so sexy. Her long straight silky black hair was a little longer and almost came down to her butt and she still styled it parted in the middle. She always reminded me of a beautiful little China doll and was just so lovely with her perfectly defined Asian features. Mei was so pretty that she was the only girl Carly was ever jealous of.

"Well you should have let me know you were going to be here. Maybe a call or something."

She stood back up holding a paper towel she used to clean up the broken eggs with and glared at me. "Well you did summon me didn't you? I mean who am I to disobey the great scary vampire executioner. Don't forget, Sam, you also kill my kind as well and if I did not come over you may come hunting me next."

Ok that hurt…that hurt bad. Yeah I had to kill some shapeshifters at times but they deserved it. They hunted and killed people just to kill and eat. I never killed one for the hell of it like I did vampires. Did I just think for the hell of it? No I don't kill for the hell of it do I? No…not me.

I grin at her, "I never killed a wereleopard, Mei…just some wolves and rats at times." See I was trying to play nice.

"Not yet, Sam." She snaps back. "I figured you would be hungry and cooked for you."

"Aww…see I knew I loved you, Mei." I give her my sweet lovey look. I was hungry. Funny how eating used to be one of my favorite things to do, but lately I just saw eating as something I had to stop what I was doing and make room in my schedule to do. Lately it was an inconvenience and not a pleasure as it used to be. Seeing Mei cooking for me like she used to made me relish the thought of eating again.

"Don't…don't ever say that to me again!" She yells back. Yeah my lovey look did not work. I guess it was wrong.

I mean I knew how she felt about me and it was like rubbing salt in an open wound I guess. I wince as I think of wounds. My back was really hurting now. I pull off my jacket and reach around feel my back and pull my hand away and look at it. Yep blood. I was still bleeding. I look up when I hear a dish break on the tile floor of the kitchen.

"Sam…oh my God…you are hurt!" Mei runs to me and walked around and lifts the back of my shirt. "Oh God…what happened? Who did this? Oh, my poor baby…you may need stitches." She says in a rushed and concerned voice. I smile at her worry…ok I kind of liked it plus it was better than her yelling at me.

She pressed her hand gently to my back and I hear her let out an almost quiet growl and I spin around and see her looking at the blood on her hands…my blood…and her normally brown eyes are now an amber color. The color of her beast's eyes. She raises her hand to her mouth and just as she is about to lick the blood off of her hand she looks at me and runs into the bathroom crying. Shit! The full moon was tomorrow night.

Some lycanthropes have a hard time controlling their shifting the closer to the full moon it is. The powerful ones have no problem and I have even met a few who can control it on the full moon almost until the last moment. Some things set it of quicker like sexual arousal and well…blood. The problem with Mei was she was not that powerful in the shapeshifter community. Oh she was stronger than a human even in her human form and could toss around a grand piano like it was an empty shoe box and I would not want to arm wrestle her but her powers were not that strong in their world. She still had a hard time controlling her inner beast. She was getting better with the training she was getting from her new Nimir-Raj and her new Nimir-Ra, king and queen of her pard. But since she left them her training ended. I walk to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Mei…you ok?" I ask her through the door.

"Yes…just…just give me a moment…please, Sam…I…I can fight it." She says in a strained voice and sounded as if she was in pain. I knew she was. It hurt them to control their inner beast from getting out. Mei once told me that it was like being clawed from the inside.

"Ok, baby…I'll go clean up in my bathroom…call me if you need anything." I whisper. There was really nothing I could do and the scent of my blood would just make it worse for her anyway.

"AHHHH!" I hear her scream and run back to the bathroom door.

"Mei…Mei, honey, you ok?"

"Go…go…go away, Sam…please…I…I can smell you…I can smell your blood…please go away until I control her." Mei says through clinched teeth.

Well that was all I needed to hear. I do not want a black leopard the size of a small pony running around my apartment regardless of how beautiful she was. Plus I did not feel like being eaten tonight. I get to my room and pull off my shoulder holster and hear her scream again. I lay my pistol on the bed within reaching distance as I remove my knives and clothes. Would she really eat me? I knew when they first shifted they had to eat since their hunger was so strong but Mei told me she would never attack a human. Would she break down my door to get out to feed…hell some of my neighbors had dogs…or would she just take advantage of the meal at hand…me. I hear her scream again and pick up my pistol and walk naked to the bathroom. Could I shoot her? If she attacked me would I be able to kill her? Yeah I would…I would be broken up about it and cry my eyes out but I would do it if I had too. See I am not a cold blooded killer. I mean it would be her or me right?

As I patch myself up as best I can I notice the three gashes on my back stopped bleeding as I used a towel and applied pressure on them. No stitches but they may scar. I could handle the scars…they did not bother me anymore. It would be the needles the doctors would have to use on me at the hospital that would brother me. Yes the big bad vampire killer was afraid of needles. As I am getting dressed again in my Oscar the Grouch pajamas…yeah I have an Oscar the Grouch fetish…I no longer hear Mei screaming.

"Mei…you ok, baby?" I yell out.

"Yes, I am fine. You can come out now. I controlled her. She won't come out now regardless of what happens or how much blood I smell."

I slip on my robe, which I really did not need but it had a pocket, and place a small .32 caliber two shot derringer in the pocket; loaded with silver plated bullets of course, I swear I am not paranoid at all…just careful. I walk into the kitchen and smile as I see Mei had started cooking again.

"Wow…you are getting better at that. Six months ago you would have changed."

Mei looks over her shoulder as she expertly scrambles the eggs in the frying pan. "Yeah…a good thing to or you may have shot me with that gun in your pocket. I would hate to be your first wereleopard kill." She said sharply to me.

"How did…"

"I can smell the oil you use to clean your gun with, Sam." She snaps. "I am a wereleopard after all and have an excellent sense of smell."

Ok I tried to play nice but now she was pissing me off. "Well I can see letting a different vampire drink your blood every night sure gave you an attitude huh?" I say as I sit down at my two chair dinette table.

Mei turns and throws the hot frying pan with the eggs in it at me. I duck and it sails over my head. "Fuck you, Samantha Puckett! For you information I am only seeing one! She is the only one I see in my personal life."

"Yeah but what about your stage life? How many do you let abuse you then?" I yell back. We are back to the same argument we had three months ago.

"That is my job, Sam…and I like my job and I like who I am with! She…she protects me! Her and Dante!"

"Oh yeah I met her tonight, Mei! Your new love interest almost killed me tonight when she warned me to stay away from you. How do you think I got these cuts on my back? What about you, Mei, let me see your back! Any whip marks there from tonight?"

Mei starts crying and I suddenly feel terrible. I hate seeing her cry. "You…you did not kill her did you?" She asks through her tears.

Ok I no longer feel terrible…she was not crying because I yelled at her or hurt her feelings but because she thought I killed a vampire she was involved with. God what happened to that wonderful sweet girl I used to know? "No I did not kill her…I fucking wanted to but Dante talked me out of it. He said he would punish her instead."

"Sam, you have to tell him not too…please. He will hurt her. Please tell him not to hurt her. He will put her in that coffin! I have seen him do it to others!" Mei begged.

She meant a coffin draped with crosses. It was a standard punishment Cassandra used to use. The crosses prevent a vampire from getting out and while they could not die they sure would go hungry. I shivered as I imagined feeling like you were starving to death every moment of the day. The vampire would live but their body would begin to wilt and become almost like a mummy over time but they would be alive. Carly told me Cassandra put her in one for three years at one time. Maybe I wanted to kill Brianna and I would if she came for me again but torture was one thing I did not want to be a part of even this indirectly.

"Ok, Mei…I will call him before dawn and tell him not to punish her. I will tell him I forgive her…but if she attacks me again I will kill her."

She smiles through her tears, "Ok…I can understand that. She does have a temper when it comes to me."

"You…you love her, huh?" I ask and I do feel jealous. I know I have no right to but I can't help it. I mean I did dump her every time Carly came around and when Carly left I went back to Mei. Yeah a terrible thing to do but I did love Mei in a way…I still do.

"No…I mean I care about her and I know you don't like her because of what she is, which I never could understand since you love Carly so much, but she…well she is good to me, Sam. She does take care of me and…I…I need that since I no longer have the pard." Mei's neediness to feel belonging to someone or something always made me feel pity for her. Maybe that was why I always felt like I had to protect her…that and I did care a great deal for her. I was glad I never felt that need in my life…I kind of found it nice and well…sexy in her but in me it would be a weakness I did not need.

"They would take you back, Mei. I know they would if you give them the chance and give up letting the vampires feed off of you. Hell you could still work at the club. Some of them do." I said as I stood up and walk over to her and try to put my arms around her. Mei pulls back angry again.

"Damn you, Sam…why do you always have to bring that up! I like it…can't you see that? I love when she feeds off of me…it feels wonderful…and…and…you know what it is like. You let Carly do it to you once. You know how great it feels. Hell I let her do it to me that one time and I never forgot the pleasure is gave me. I begged her do keep doing it, Sam. Remember that? I pleaded with her to do it more even if she would have drained all the blood from my body I would have let her just for that pleasure!"

I reach out to her again but she just pulls way, "Does…does it feel as good when Brianna does it?" I mumble out. Yeah I was jealous. Hell I was jealous back when Carly did it to her…jealous of both of them. I knew how good Carly could make it and yeah I wanted more of it to but I was stronger. I would never let her feed off of me again. I just was not food.

Mei shakes her head, "No…none of them are as good as Carly." Mei wipes her eyes and looks at me. "Why did you want to see me for, Sam? Please just tell me so I can leave. I am tired of fighting with you. I hate fighting with you. It hurts me."

I sit back down and Mei sat in the other chair and I explain the murders to her and gave her more detail than I gave Dante. I never told Stan I would not tell Mei anything…hell I never told him I would talk to her. When I was done she gives me a look of shock and even disgust.

"He…he was just ripped open and…and never fed off of?" She asks and I nod, "Sam…oh God…how…how can you bare to sleep at night after seeing things like that?"

"You get used to it." I lied. "I need to know if you are aware of maybe any of your pard may have well…maybe controlled against their will and could be involved."

Mei shook her head, "No that I know of. I am not in their good graces anymore and most of them don't even talk to me, but I have not heard of anything even in passing. Are you sure it is a wereleopard?"

"No but I know it is a werecat."

"Maybe a weretiger then?" She asks.

I nod, "Could be but there is only one in the area I know of. You know how tight knit they are and there is only five weretiger groups in the while country."

Mei giggles and it made me smile, "Tight knit? They are a bunch of snobs. That is why Christine is here alone. She was a survivor and her infection was not inherited."

Weretigers where a breed apart from other shapeshifters. Most were born with their form of lycanthropes. They liked to consider themselves pure bred. For a weretiger to infect a human was a major crime in their tight knit group which was broken up into their particular breed. White tigers, orange tigers (the most common…orange with black stripes) and the even rarer pure black tigers. The would kill the tiger that infected a human and then adopt the human into their clan but he or she was still treated like a second class citizen. They weren't mistreated or abused…actually they were doted on since the purebreds felt pity for them, but they were not allowed to mate with the other weretigers or have relationships with the purebreds and not given full rights in the clan as the purebreds were. I met Christine one time and she is a nice lady in her thirties and teaches high school English.

"Yeah they are a proud group. But besides her and your pard there are no other werecat clans in the city. It could be an outsider of course…I hope it is."

Mei nods, "I can ask James. He dances at Sinful Delights and still is in the good graces of the pard and still likes me. I'll get him to ask Mitch and Dawn." Mitch was the pards Nimir-Raj and Dawn was his wife the pards Nimir-Ra.

"Thanks, Mei…I appreciate it…and…well…I am also glad to see you again. I missed you." I reach over and take her hand and she lets me. "I hate fighting with you too, Mei. It hurts me as well." She smiled her sweet charming smile at me and brought my hand to her lips and kissed and then licked it. I always thought it was so sexy when she did that and it made me shiver better than Dante ever did with his voice. I blush…yes I can blush still.

"Did you think maybe this cat who attacked these poor people could be a witch?" She asks after she brought my hand down from her lips and giggled at me blushing.

"A witch? I don't understand?" I give her a confused look.

Mei laughs, "Killing vampires and raising the dead you are an expert at, Sam, but you know shit about witch craft. Didn't Miriam teach you anything?" She teased. I had witchcraft power in me but I never used it much and was not that good at it.

"Ok…have you fun…but please explain it to me."

"Well a witch…a powerful one…can cast a spell and use the skin of a lycanthrope…provided he or she skins the poor person alive…to give them the power of that breed of wereanimal. They get all the benefits of being a shapeshifter…the strength and power…but they are not tired to the moon like a true lycanthrope is."

"Damn…I never knew…see I knew calling you was a good idea and not just because I wanted to see you again. But don't wiccans believe in the three fold rule." To the few witches I met they believed strongly in karma. They did something bad like place a curse on someone and it came back to them three times worse. All the witches I met were nice folks.

Mei shook her head, "Not all witches are Wiccan and not all are good like Miriam and her coven. There are some bad ones out there, Sam, some evil and powerful ones. Miriam told me she met a few who could even summon demons to do their bidding."

I shiver at that. I never had to face down a demon and never wanted to. They could not be killed only banished. I read about cases of true demon possession and summoning and I did not want any part of it or them.

I smile at her, "I am glad you came by…and not just for the information you gave me."

Mei grins and blushes this time, "You…you wanted to really see me and not just for information?" She asks in her shy voice.

It was my turn to kiss her hand, "Of course…I missed you."

We spend the rest of the time eating the bacon and toast…I was out of eggs…and enjoying each other's company and then cleaned the kitchen. I soon grew tired and had to get at least four or maybe five hours of sleep before I called Stan and filled him in on all I knew. I did call Dante and asked him not to punish Brianna. He was not to happy about it and told me she must be punished or it would be a sign of weakness. He settled on whipping her instead and would not use the coffin. Mei was a little upset but thought that was better than the coffin. Me…well I would have preferred just to kill her and not torture her but it was not my choice. Oh…for the favor I did have to agree to go to the theater with him one time. It was my choice when and I told him after the crimes were solved I would choose then. Damn Mei owed me for this one. She just giggled when I told her.

"Mei…why don't you spend the night…or morning…here. It is almost dawn and the vampires will be asleep by the time you get back." I ask her as I yawn and stretch.

"And whose room and bed do I sleep in?" She asks me in her sexy voice.

"Ummm…the…the guest room."

Mei shrugs, "Ok…but I much prefer your bed, Sam."

She stands up and uses her strength to push me and my chair away from the table like I weighed nothing. She then straddles me and leans down and kisses me. It takes me just a second before I open my mouth and allow her tongue to slip inside. I moan and wrap my hands around her and pull her tight as she grinds her hips and presses into me. I gasp as she hits just the right spot and feel her hand open my robe and then lift my pajama top up. She soon finds her way to my erect nipple and kissed me harder as I gasp again at the pleasure and then I push her off of me gasping for breath.

"Oh…God…wow…I…damn girl." I stutter out. "Mei…I can't, baby. I am sorry I just can't."

She gets off of me quickly and glares at me, "Because of Carly? After a fucking year you still can't give her up can you? Damn you, Sam…I have always been here for you when she wasn't." She starts to cry again, "Why…why can't you love me like you love her? I…I don't understand it!"

"Mei, please, baby, it is just not her you know that. She left me and I am getting over her. It is no longer Carly, Mei. I…I can't do things to you that you like. I tried, baby, you know I did but that is not me. And…and…I am seeing someone. Michael…and I…it would not be fair to you or him."

"I don't care if you are dating someone else…I did not care with Carly. I love you, Sam. I loved you from the first day I met you years ago! Why can't you see that? And…and…you could do those thing to me. You know I heal quickly and I don't scar and there is no permanent damage." Mei dropped to her knees in front of me. "Please, Sam, please love me."

God my heart was breaking at seeing her like this. Yeah I knew she loved me and maybe I was being selfish at wanting her to be just my friend and I did love her and the sex was just awesome with her but I couldn't. I wish I could…I really did. She is sexy, pretty, so sweet and caring but I just could not give her that one thing she wanted. I could not give her the physical pain she craved at times to satisfy her sexually. It was not an everyday thing with her but I knew she needed it from time to time to be satisfied and I could…would never do that to her. I tried…I really did and it did not go over well with me. I did lie when I said it was Michael. It really was not him and I had been thinking of ending it with him anyway but not yet. How would I look if I broke up with him right after we had sex for the first time? And truth be told…I don't think I could ever love anyone so deeply as I loved Carly…or at least got some type of closure from her first before I could move on.

"Mei…I am sorry, dear…I really am. I…I understand if you don't want to stay."

She stands back up and wipes her eyes, "No…I'll stay even if it is in the guest room. I…I am sorry I got all emotional on you. It is still the same thing between us as it always was and I…I am sorry. I am just glad we are friends again." She walks to the guest room and then turns back to me and grins, "Oh…cute pajama's by the way." She walks to the room giggling.

I smile as I get up…she brought them for me. She and Carly were the only two people who knew about my Oscar the Grouch fetish. Well my mom and sister too. I brush my teeth and check my cuts one more time and they were not bleeding anymore. I wished I could have asked Mei to put something on them and bandage them but I did not trust her one hundred percent that she could control her beast. Maybe it was a good thing I did not let my hormones get the best of me and have sex with her now that I think about it…but damn I wanted her so fucking bad! I climb into bed and to go sleep. I did not need ole Oscar tonight. I say my prayers and curl up to fall asleep. It did not take long.

I woke and found myself in a large room that was lit by torches and surrounded by stone walls. The were two windows on the far side of the room but no light shown through just darkness, but a darkness like I had never see before. It was not the darkness from a night sky but something darker and pitch black. I looked down at myself and saw I was wearing a plain white dress that was almost see through and came down to my ankles. I could see my breasts and brown nipples through the material and even the hair of my neatly trimmed pubic area. I knew it was a dream but also not a dream. It was too real for it to be just a dream…or a nightmare.

"Samantha." A female voice whispered and it sent shivers of fear and pleasure up my spine. I knew that voice. I loved that voice. It was Carly's voice.

I looked around the room and at first I could not see anything and then by one of the windows a thick white fog came through the darkness of the outside and when the fog cleared I saw her. I saw the girl I loved more than anything in my life standing before me. I saw the girl that broke my heart to the point I knew I would never love again. She smiled at me as she stood there naked and I soaked in the beauty of her. Carly was taller than me by about three inches and her long dark hair spilled over her shoulders and came down in front of her to cover her breasts in such a way I found so sexy. Her almost black eyes I always found so lovely and mysterious stared at me as she smiled. I looked away, not in fear but in emotional pain.

"Please, Samantha, please look at me. I need you to look at me." Carly said and I noticed something in her voice I had never heard before. I had heard love, lust, anger, and jealousy from her but never this. Carly was afraid. I glanced up and saw her walking to me…no not walking gliding with her feet inches off the ground. I looked down at my feet as she stopped about six inches from me.

"Please, Samantha…please look at me. I won't hurt you." She whispered. Carly was one of only two people I liked to call me Samantha. One was dead…my sister…and she was the other one. She normally called me Sam but sometimes she called me Samantha…when she used to express her love for me, in the throws of passion, and when she was angry with me. This time she said it in a pleading voice…again something new for me to hear from her.

"No…you….you hurt me, Carly. You hurt me bad and….I…I can't…I just can't." I mumble out.

"I'm sorry, Sam….I truly am. It is not my fault…please believe that. I love you, Samantha…I love you so much."

At those words I do look up and I see her face and while I think she is the most beautiful person I have ever seen something was wrong. Her eyes look almost lifeless, her skin much paler than I had ever seen, she had dark circles under her eyes, her cheeks look a little sunken in, and her fangs were out.

"Carly…what happened to you. Where have you been?" I say and resist the urge to grab her and hug her. Those fangs worried me a little.

"Oh, Sam…I have been asleep. I don't want to but she makes me sleep and won't let me go. She makes me sleep next to her and…and I can't escape her. I…I tried…oh I have tried so many times. Tonight I found a way to escape her if just for a little while but she will find me and come and get me." Carly voice held fear and sadness.

"Who? Who, Carly? It…it can't be Cassandra…she…she is dead….oh God please tell me she is dead!" I scream the last part. Cassandra was Carly's maker and the scariest vampire I had ever met. She was the only one I knew that could control Carly.

Carly shook her head, "No…not her…worse." Carly looked and me and gave me a pitiful look that made my throat tighten and my heart felt like it dropped into my stomach. "She…she starves me, Sam…I…I am so hungry. She allows me just enough to keep me barley nourished and then…then she takes it away and feeds off of me. Oh…Sam I am so hungry…please help me…I am starving." Carly pleaded and tears came down her cheeks.

I start to cry myself as I look at her and see her broken. That look and her pleading broke my heart. "I…I don't know how. Who…who is doing this? How can I help you?"

"Please, Samantha, please let me feed off of you…I am so hungry." Carly pleaded again as she ran a hand though my hair. I shiver in fear.

I knew what she was asking and I did not want to do it. I never let her feed off of me when we were together but that one time when we first met. Then she did not bite me but just fed off cuts on my hand that were already there. I always told her I was her girlfriend and not her dinner plate.

"Please….oh God…please. I am so hungry…please, Sam, don't let me starve." She cried in her pitiful sad voice as tears came down her cheeks harder.

"I…I can't…please don't make me, Carly…please don't make me do this." I beg her and drop to my knees.

Carly falls to her own knees in front of me and again runs her fingers through my hair. "Please, Samantha, please let me…I am so hungry. Please don't let me starve. It…it hurts, Samantha, the hunger hurts me…please let me feed. I…I don't want to make you but I can." Tears run down her cheeks and my heart breaks even more. "Please don't make me force you…I…I love you to much." The sound of her pleading voice drives me to pity.

"Carly…I…please…I…" I stammer out as I am crying harder now and look up at her as I pull my long hair away from the left side of my neck. I tilt my head and take a deep breath. "I…ok…you…you can." I manage to say in between my sobs.

"The cross, Sam…please take off your cross." Carly begs and I pull the cross from my neck and throw it across the room and it disappears in the darkness. I briefly thought how odd it was that it did not even glow once when I brought it out from under the white dress I was wearing and then my thoughts were lost again as I look back at Carly.

Carly leans in and kisses my neck. At that one kiss I would have given her anything she wanted and I knew she was not using her mind tricks on me. It was love and the feeling of just her ice cold lips. I shiver at the coldness and the pleasure. She moves her lips to mine and kisses me gently and pulls back a little. She gives me a week smile and then kisses my neck again.

"I…I don't have the strength to make it feel good…I am sorry, Samantha." Carly whispers into my neck and her breath is like ice and then I scream when her fangs sink into my neck. She grips me tight and I clinch onto her as I feel her throat convulsing as she drinks my warm blood. After a while I try to push her off me but she is to strong.

"Carly…please…no more…too much…you are taking too much!" I scream out in fear between my gasps.

Eventually she pulls back and takes large gasping breaths. Vampires don't really need to breath but I have seen them gasp for breath as they died, got hurt, or in Carly's case in the throws of passion and the aftermath of sex. To a vampire drinking blood is almost like sex. She throws her head back and shudders in the pleasure of my blood running through her and moans with her eyes closed tight. She then looks at me and I see my blood around her mouth, running down her chin and also something that strikes another wave of fear in my body. Her eyes are glowing red. She was still hungry and wanted more. I crawl away from her on my hands and knees until I reach a corner in the stone room; I sit on my butt and draw my knees to my chin and wrap my arms around my legs and stare at her. I suddenly wish I had not thrown my cross away.

"Please, Carly, please no more…please don't do this to me." I whimper out.

She crawls to me on her hands and knees and I think it is one of the sexiest things I have ever seen but I swear as I saw her red glowing eyes and her flashing her blood stained fangs I would have shot her and killed her if I had my gun. She stops when she sees me crying and hearing me pleading with her and puts her head down and gives it several shakes and her black hair spills around her. When she looks up at me again her eyes are back to their normal mysterious black and her fangs are gone.

"I am sorry, Sam, I am so sorry. I…I have not fed so well in such a long time…please forgive me." She begs and slowly crawls to me again. When she reaches me she reaches out and touches my face, her hands now warm as my blood runs through her, and leans in and kisses me. I taste the sweet copper of my own blood on her lips but I do not care. I open my mouth and moan as her tongue slips past my parted lips and I wrap my hands around her wanting more…so much more. I loved her from the first time I saw her and I loved her now and she never had to use her mind tricks on me to make me love her as much as I did. I knew I would always love Carly. She pulls back from my lips and I let out a moan of disappointment.

"No…please, Carly, please love me…please don't leave me again." I beg her. I could not help it. I never begged and pleaded even with the thought of death and with the things I have faced in my life but her I begged. I needed her to love me.

"I…I escaped her to see you, Sam. I needed to see you again." She managed a smile and kissed my lips again and pulled back. "Your blood will only nourish me for a little time and she will take that. I…I love you, Samantha, more then I ever loved anyone even in my mortal life. Please forgive me and may your God have mercy on your soul for what I need to do."

"What! What are you going to do? Who is she, Carly? Who has you?" I scream in fear of not knowing what she had planned.

"The Mother of all Darkness is waking and she needs my body. She has been asleep for to long and her body is useless…she needs mine to take over when she wakes. I…please forgive me, Samantha, please forgive me." Carly cries out to me with her voice full of sorrow and anguish as tears run down her cheeks.

I look into her eyes and I see two fiery blue orbs come from hers and I scream. I knew what they were. I had seen them before and knew the meaning of them. I close my eyes but it does no good as the orbs burn into my eyes and I scream in pain and fear. They pain only lasts a short period of time but the fear is still there. I open my eyes as Carly holds me tight and then I see two red fiery orbs and again I scream and the pain and the fear once more as they burn into me. I collapse on the ground as Carly holds me in her lap and strokes my hair. I knew what she was doing and I could do nothing to stop her. She gave me the first two marks to be her human servant. One more and I would be hers for all eternity…or until one of us died taking the other one with her.

I open my eyes and look up at her. "Nooo…why…why did you do this? Why? You said you loved me!" I scream at her and she just continues to hold my head to her naked breast and caresses my hair. Already her skin becomes the familiar alabaster color I love and her face is back to the way I was used to seeing it.

"I am so sorry, Samantha, I truly am…but I…I need you to help me and to feed from you. I…I am so sorry. If there was any other way I would have not done this." Carly suddenly looks up at the window and I feel an ice cold wind rush over my body. "She…she had found me." Carly drops my head to the stone floor and her body is sucked away from me as she screams. I look up and see her being sucked into a mist so black that no light of any kind could penetrate. I shiver from the cold and the fear from that black mist but manage to get to my feet.

"Help me, Sam…please help me. She is getting stronger!" Carly screams and then she is gone into the darkness.

I stand as the mist gets closer to me and I want to run in fear but my feet will not move. I want to scream Carly's name and just to scream but I had no voice due to the fear. The darkness washes over me and I feel my blood turn to almost ice it is so cold and when the mist is over me I suddenly know…I know why we humans fear the darkness. I know why the night holds so much terror for us. It is because of her. The Mother of all Darkness is the reason we fear the night. I drop to my knees in pain as I feel her age that make my bones ach. She is old…so old that I knew she walked the earth before humans left their caves ages ago. She walked the earth with the Neanderthal man and fed off of them as she haunted their dark caves and they gathered around their fires in fear of her. She was the oldest thing I have ever felt and I almost passed out from the pain and the fear she gave me as I drop back to my knees. Cassandra's fear was nothing to this ones fear. I scream and she laughs at me.

"She is mine, human! You have power…that I can tell and you have killed my children but you are nothing to me. You cannot help her. I need her." The voice laughed in my head. It was a female voice but like one I never heard. I once thought Cassandra's voice and laugh sounded like beings from the gates of hell and if that was so then this voice…this laugh…was hell itself.

"Why…why her?" I manage to ask and again the laugh that would drive me mad with fear if she kept it up or if she even willed it to.

"Why not? She is beautiful and I want a beautiful body when I wake. You will see her again, human…you will see her body after I wake and I will come for you in her body just because she loves you. I will see you die as I drink your blood and then I will see you rise as one if us just because she loves you. Yes I see her dreams and she dreams of you and her love for you and I hate it! I hate love! Both you and her will forget love, human, soon all you will know and believe in is fear! She has marked you but that will not save you or her. She is mine; human, and soon you will be mine also. I will destroy her mind and keep her lovely body and when I wake I will come for you and you will know what it is to truly fear for all eternity!"

I scream in the pain and horror of her…this Darkness…and she is suddenly gone. I wake up screaming and shivering with cold as Mei is holding me. I grab her and pull her close and sob on her shoulder.

"Shhh…I have you, Sam…shhh it was just a dream, baby…I have you now." Mei whispers in my ear. I don't even notice she was naked…she always slept naked.

"No…God no…it…it was not a dream…it was real…it was so real." I whimper out as I tremble in fear. I push Mei off of me. "What…what time is it? Is the sun up…please, Mei…please tell me the fucking sun is up! Please!" I scream.

Mei looks at me like I was crazy and maybe I was…maybe I was going mad from the fear but all I knew right then was I needed the light…not the artificial light from my lamp but I need the true light…I needed to see and feel the sun on me.

"Yes, baby, the sun is up." She tells me.

"Open the shades…please, Mei…for the love of God please open the shades!" I scream and push her from the bed.

Mei walks quickly over to the window and opens the shades and the blessed sunlight fills the room. I whisper a quick prayer of thanks to God that I choose a apartment were the window in my room faces east…the direction of the rising sun…the wonderful sun. I touch my neck to grab my cross and remembered I took it off for Carly. I look around the room and let out another scream as I see my cross in the corner…or what was left of it. It was now just a melted and then hardened chunk of silver. I had never seen that before. Mei rushes to me and grabs me again and I push her away.

"Noooo….Nooo…my cross…I need a cross…please, Mei…please I need a cross!" I scream in utter terror.

Mei runs to my dresser and opens the top drawer and pulls out a black box that contained a 14k gold cross. In the box was a note that simply read - _My dearest sister…please wear this to keep the monsters away at night. I had it blessed by a priest to protect you...I love you dearly, Samantha, your loving sister Melanie._ It was a gift she got me on our sixteenth birthday, just two months before she was killed in that terrible automobile accident. Whenever I pulled it out and looked at it and read the note…which I did often…I always thought after I discovered the existence of vampires if she knew about the monsters before I did. I never wore the cross not because it was gold (it would still work against them) but because it was the last gift I got from her and I had a tendency to lose my crosses to the bad guys or have them take the crosses away and I did not want to lose that one. But those thoughts did not enter my mind at that moment. All I wanted right then was a cross around my neck to protect me as I basked in the glorious sunlight.

Mei knew where I kept it…she had been in this room many times…and I was so grateful to her as I lifted my head and allowed her to put the cross around my neck and she tucked it under my pajama top so I can feel it against my skin. As soon as the cross touched my naked breast above my right nipple it glowed white hot and burned me.

"Take it off….please it burns…take it off!" I scream in pain and Mei pulls the cross off of me and throws it across the room. I look at her wide fearful eyes and then look at my breast and see a cross shaped burn that I knew would leave a terrible scar. Oddly I briefly thought of Dante and then curled up on my bed in the fetal position and screamed again. Mei lay next to me and held me tight.

"Sam…your neck…you're bleeding, baby." She whispers.

"Noooo! Oh God please help me! Please God…what have _they _done to me! Please help me God!" I scream in complete horror as I lay there and prayed and sobbed and begged God to help me with tears running down my cheeks.


	7. Chapter 7

I lay on my bed shivering from the cold and the fear. I was so cold even under my blankets and with Mei rubbing her naked warm body over me. She was warm…warmer than normal and I knew why. A lycanthropes body temperature is normally warmer than a human…their average body temperature is around 101 or 102, but when they get closer to the full moon it shoots up. Right now, with the full moon tonight, she was probably at 106 or 107. Nice and warm but it was not doing me any good. I was still so cold. And then the fear.

I was so afraid of what had happened in my "not dream" or "not nightmare". Not just about what Carly did to me but about that darkness I saw and felt. It was like nothing I had ever felt before…the power from it…the fear if gave me…it was all so overwhelming. Whoever this Mother of All Darkness was she was one powerful bitch and I wanted not part of her. The problem was she had Carly. She had the girl…vampire…I loved and I had to get her back even if I was pissed at her right now. I would still try and help her even if right now I could care less if I ever saw her again after what she did to me. I just could not leave her and let her mind be consumed and her body controlled by that…that…thing…that evil.

Carly marked me twice to be her human servant and one more mark and that was it…I was done. I would be hers forever…for all eternity or if I got killed or if she got killed. A human servant was not a "Renfroe" by any means. A Renfroe was a term used to describe a vampire's human slave. A human who had been bitten by the vampire but not turned into one of them is nothing but a slave to that vampire…unless you cleanse the bite with holy water or kill the vampire first. I only had to clean one vampire bite because I killed the others who bit me and I hope I never have to do it again. It hurts…God does it hurt. It is like pouring acid on you skin and it makes you blood feel like it is going to boil….anyway…a Renfroe is a slave to do the vampire's bidding and nothing else but a human servant is totally different.

Only a master vampire can mark someone to be a human servant and they don't do it often and they can only do it once. They only do it for their most trusted human slaves or sometimes when they love the other person and don't want to go through eternity without them. The reason why it is not done much is because if the human servant dies for any reason so does the vampire and vice versa. That is how strong the bond between vampire and human servant is. The servant is not a slave to the vampire in anyway but more like and equal partner to an extent. They still obey their master or mistress but they do so willingly unlike the Renfroe who has no choice. The first three marks are given like Carly did to me…metaphysically. The last and final one comes with the exchange of blood…you drink theirs and they drink yours and then the mental bonding. With each mark comes certain benefits or as I look at it certain curses. The first one you can enter the vampire's dreams and they can enter yours…with practice you can shield them out…and they can feed off of you while you sleep. They can get nourishment from what you eat and when they do you eat so much more…you are eating for two. The second I really don't know how it is going to affect me and the third all I know about is it gives you that eternal life…until someone kills you. You can still die as a human can die. The sunlight does not affect you and you live just like a normal human except one thing. You never age and can live for ever…sounds good huh? Well I did not want that. I never wanted that! I liked my mortality…it was one of the things that separated me from the monsters.

"Sam…you are still bleeding, honey." I hear Mei whisper as she purrs. Yeah she purrs like a cat and I always found it so sexy and a huge turn on but right now I was to sacred to think of anything but what was done to me. "We…we need to stop it." Her voice is suddenly strained.

I try to turn my body to face her but she suddenly licks my bleeding neck and that sexy purr is now a low growl after she tasted my blood. Shit! I roll off the bed and grab my Browning 9mm Practical from its resting place in it holster that I always drape over the post of my head board before I go to sleep…a girl can never be to careful. I land on the floor and crawl to the corner of the room and hold the pistol in a two handed grip out in front of me pointing it at Mei. My hands are shaking from being so cold…I feel like I am standing naked in the middle of a Washington State snow blizzard.

Mei crawls off the bed in a cat like manner and I see her eyes have that amber color to them and when she opens her mouth to speak her teeth are now sharp and catlike. "S…Sam…I…please…I…I am trying…please." She pleads with pain in her voice. I know she is trying to control her inner beast.

"L…l…leave, M…Mei…just leave." I tell her as my teeth chatter.

"AHHHH! Sam…please…I…I am trying…would…would you…AHHHH! Would you shoot me…really shoot me?" She asks as she stood up and then buckled over from the pain as her beast is clawing its way out of her. She has tears in her eyes and I don't think they are all from the pain.

"D…don't give…me…that choice, Mei…please don't give me that…c…choice. Please…l…leave…j…j…just leave." I chatter out.

Mei lets out another cry of pain and runs into my second bedroom and I hear here scream again and then after a few more moments she stands in the doorway to my room wearing the same clothes she had on last night, baggy jeans and an old tee shirt. Most wereanimals always dressed in old clothes close to the full moon that way they would not ruin a good outfit if they changed. Her eyes are back to normal now.

"I told you I can control it now, Sam." She says in an angry voice. I just hold my gun tight in my hand keeping it lowered but not pointed at her anymore…I still did not trust her at this moment.

"Just…j…just leave…please. I…I don't want to hurt you, Mei."

"Fuck you, Sam!" She screams as tears run down her face. I know I hurt her with my threat but she had to leave. If she did shift she would be safer with me not being the only food source she could find. I would have killed her. No…if she did shift outside she would only hunt an animal. I really don't think Mei would ever attack a human even after she changed she would fight the urge and go for other prey but I was not taking any chances.

After she leaves I crawl back to my bed and pull off the large thick comforter and wrap it around me but it only helps a little. I stand up and grab my purse from off my dresser and pull out my cell phone and then a black business card. The card only has a number on it and nothing else. I dial the number, get an answering service, leave my name and number, turn my heater up to about 90 degrees, and crawl back into the bed shivering…God I was so cold. About five minutes later my cell phone rings.

"H…hello." I answer my teeth still chattering.

"Sam, its Henry…you called me. Have you changed your mind?" The cold voice says.

"I…I….I need you, Henry…please…I need help." I whisper.

"Ok…be there in a few." He says and hangs up.

I drop my phone on the night stand and pull the blanket up over me again. He was the only one I knew to call and I hated that. He would help me there was never a doubt about that. He may kill me one day but today he would help me. Of all the humans I knew he knows more about the vampires than I did and maybe…just maybe he could help me understand what happened to me. The problem was that after he helped me I owed him and I hated owing him. Paying his favors back could get you killed. That tells you how scared I was at that moment. I draw myself up in the fetal position and start crying once again. I hated to cry but damn it…I could not help it!

"Sam…Sam…why does it fell like a fucking oven in here?" I here a voice and turn over and give Henry a small smile. I had not idea how long I had been waiting but I was so glad to see him. All would be well now…the Reaper came to my rescue. I was still cold and shivering but the fear had passed over me.

"H…hey." I managed a whisper. "I…I am so…so…cold."

Henry comes over to the bed and pulls off my blankets even after I fight him briefly. I feel him touching my skin on my face, "Jesus, girl, your skin feels like ice…what happened?"

"I…I…help me, Henry…please…help me get warm."

I hear him go into the bathroom and then the sound of running water and he comes back to the bed, "We are going to get you in a hot bath, Sam, but you need to tell me what happened."

I nod, "Yeah…later…first help me get warm." I feel Henry pick me up and carry me to the bathroom and sit me on edge of the tub. His hands start to unbutton my pajama top.

"Cute pajamas, Sam, I kind of figured you for the Cookie Monster type through." He chuckles and I slap his hand away.

"I can d…do it." I was not worried about him seeing me naked. One is that at this point I really did not care I just wanted to get warm. Two it was Henry…I was not sex to him regardless if he saw me naked or not. He had seen my more personal side more than once when he fixed me up after we fought vamps together. I mean…I did not flaunt it in front of him by any means…I do have some modesty to me, but he was not like that with me. He nods and leaves the room. See he really did not want to see me naked anyway.

I feel the warmth of the tub and it feels so good and I even smile that Henry added bubble bath. I strip and get in the tub and it feels so good and warm and I can actually start to feel my body temperature start to rise. I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation as Henry walked back in. I check to make sure the bubbles are covering most of me and they were. He sits on the toilet and gives me a hard stare.

"Ok…spill it. What happened and what vampire bit you?" He asks.

My hand goes to my neck and I feel the crusty dried blood and no wetness of fresh blood. It stopped bleeding. I use a wash cloth to wash my neck and look at him.

"Not important." I lie.

"Don't lie to me, Sam." Fuck! I hated he knew I was lying.

"I…I got attacked last night by a female vampire who kind of had it out for me because she fancies herself in love with Mei." It you don't' succeed try again but that really was not a lie. The bitch did jump me.

"The wereleopard girl?" I nod, "I did not think you were seeing her anymore."

"We are friends nothing more." I tell him with a little defiance in my voice. I think we are friends…I did not know right now. Threatening to shoot someone kind of puts a damper on the whole friendship thing.

"Sounds like it." He chuckles and I glare at his comment. We are just friends…maybe…I did not know now after I threatened to shoot her. But why did I get so mad at his comment…no stop it Sam you are just her friend…those feelings for her are long gone!

"Henry, you ever heard of a vampire called the Mother of All Darkness?" I ask him to change the subject and to get information.

He shakes his head, "No…why? Are you going hunting? If so I want in." He has that gleam in his eyes. That look like he wants to kill something and I was just glad it was not me.

"No." I sigh…not if I could help it. I knew I had to do something to help Carly but I wanted no piece of that bitch who scared me so bad. "How…how do you do it, Henry?"

He smiles at me, "What part…the killing?"

I shake my head, "No…I know how you do that and why. You enjoy it. You like the hunt and the thrill of the challenge and of the kill. How do you survive?"

"The same way you do. We are good and we live they don't. That simple."

I shake my head again, "No…I'm different…I mean I have things to help me. I can look them in the eyes for the most part and most of them can't mind fuck me and I can sense them and shit…I have an advantage…you…you are a null." A null was a term for someone with no magical or supernatural power.

"I am just that good." He grins and that was it. That was how he survived for so long hunting the monsters. It was simple…he was just that fucking good and I would never be that good and knowing that gave me comfort and also scared me. "Now why did you ask about this vampire…this Mother of All Darkness?"

"First…can I see your cross…I…I want to hold it." Henry nods and pulls his cross from under his shirt and removes it. I reach out slowly and scared. I whisper a pray for it not to burn me as my fingers touch it. I smile and take it as it feels normal. Just plain metal with no burning and I clutch it tight and sink lower in the warm tub…damn do I feel better. I was glad I could touch the cross for so many reasons. The cross had been my savoir so many times and right now I needed it…I needed to hold it as I told Henry about my dream. I of course leave out the part about Carly.

"Shit…and she was just a mist…a black mist." He asks when I am done.

"Yeah…but more…a darkness. I never felt that much power from something before…that much evil. It was even worse than that…that night I spent in Cassandra's coffin…the feeling of fear. I…I knew she could do things to me that would have made what Cassandra did feel like a walk in the park. And then my cross burned me." I sit up a little and show him the cross shaped burn scar. It still hurt.

Henry nods and thinks for a moment, "Well…I think she may have still been in your head when you touched the cross. That was why it burned."

"Yeah…maybe." I had fear in my voice and I hated it.

"You scared, Sam." Henry said and it was not a question. I hated he knew I was afraid.

I turn my head not to look at him, "I'm always afraid when I go against them. You know that…it helps me stay alert." I mumble…I hated admitting the truth.

"Yeah…I know but you never let it show and always did you job. You always overcame that fear."

"I…I don't think…if I go after her…I…I don't think I would walk away form this one." I turn and look at him. "Whenever I go after them I always thought I would win no matter how scared I was….but not this time. I felt her, Henry, she was inside my head and I knew the power she had….I could feel her evil and her hate."

Henry did not say a word and I did not expect him to. He was not the comforting type so I decided to change the subject. I had my short moment of emotional confession with him and that was it. It was over.

"What do you know of the marks they give a human servant?" I ask. My voice stronger.

He gives me a curious look, "She did not mark you did she?"

"No…she didn't." See no lie.

"Well you know about the first one…Cassandra did that to you. The second one gives you more. You can heal faster. Not like a vampire or shapeshifter but faster than normal. With the second mark you can feel them…more than_ you_ already can…you can sense them in a room or even behind a closed door. There may be more to it but that is what I know. And with the third you get that eternal life and you can feed off the master's blood and they can feed off yours and you do heal like them. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious…does…does it make you…evil…a monster?"

Henry shakes his head, "It does not make you evil, Sam, not like them. As far as being a monster…well we both have seen regular humans who are monsters and do terrible things. I am even considered a monster to a lot of people."

"Yeah…I…I don't want to be like you, Henry. I…I don't want to be a monster. I don't want to enjoy the kill or get a rush from the challenge or the hunt."

He gives me a hard look with those cold blue eyes that make me shiver and smiles, "That, Sam, is already too late. You and I are much more alike than you think."

I sink lower in the tub. I want to deny it but it was true…for the most part. I did not enjoy killing…well maybe sometimes I did get satisfaction from it but I was not like him. I did not kill for the challenge or the money. I did it for my job and to protect me and mine and nothing else. I killed vampires, lycanthropes, and even the occasional human and never lost sleep over it because I did it to protect myself, someone I loved, or because the monster hurt others and would keep hurting others until they were stopped. No I was not like him…was I?

"Sam, have you heard anything about Carly? I know you went to visit Dante last night."

I sit back up, "You following me?"

"No…I just have my sources."

"Yeah I went to see him…he has no idea where she is." I was not going to tell him until I knew what his intentions were. "Did you take the contract?"

Henry shook his head, "No…I still have time."

"Are you going to?" Fear hit me again.

Henry smiles, "No…I decided not to but I have not given my answer yet."

"Why…not take it I mean. It would be a challenge for you."

"Yeah it would be...one of my greatest but I decided not to because of you."

I stare at him for a moment, "Me…why. I know you are not afraid of me."

Henry smiles, "Would you believe because you are my friend?"

I shake my head, "No…try again."

Henry laughs, "I am not going to take it because I know you. I know you are going to try and help her. If I took the contract I would only get to kill her and maybe you if you came after me once I killed Carly. But if I help you…I will get a chance to kill more than just two people."

And that was it…he would help me because by helping me he would get more kills and even a greater challenge. Whatever the reason I was just glad he was on my side…damn glad. I then tell him about Carly in the dream…leaving out the vampire marks and how she bit me.

When I was done I motion him out of the bathroom so I can get out of the tub and dressed. I was feeling so much better and warm now. After he leaves I get up and take a look at my back where Brianna clawed me. "Shit" I hiss as I look at the cuts. They looked like they were about three or four days old. I then look at my skinned knees and the palm of my left hand where the pavement tore the skin off and nothing…they were completely healed. The second mark…they healed because Carly gave me the second mark. Damn…it was nice…real nice but I still wanted no part of it. I get dressed in just a pair of jeans and plain red tee shirt and walk into the kitchen and smile as I smell the coffee Henry started. I sit down at the table and feel hungry…real hungry. I grab a bagel and then two and then three and some blueberry flavored cream cheese.

"And this…vampire…this Mother of All Darkness…she has Carly and is going to take over her body?" Henry asks as I stuff my face.

"Yeah…said her ody is uhless. Een 'sleep to onge." I say with a mouth full of food.

"Any idea where she is or who she is?"

I swallow, "No…I may ask Dante tonight. He may know."

Henry nods, "Ok…but I am going with you."

I shake my head as I take a drink of coffee, "No…you can't. There is no way he would even let you near his place or near him."

Henry nods. "Ok…but I am driving you…I just won't go into his club. I'll hang back out on the street. I kind of liked to see you in a male strip club…do you think you can focus long enough to ask him questions?"

"Fuck you, Henry."

He just laughs and then I was saved further embarrassment when my cell phone rang. I see by the caller ID it was Michael and then notice I have a voice mail. Must have called me while I was half out of it earlier…I flip open the phone to talk to Michael.

"Hey." I say as I walk out of the kitchen. Henry did not have to hear my conversation.

"Hey, baby, I did not know if you had to go to work today or tonight and thought we could go out to eat and to a movie."

"No…no clients today but I can't tonight. I had something come up." I was not telling him about going to visit Dante.

"Hey, Sam, you need to buy some more cream cheese." I hear Henry shout and I cringe.

"Who was that?" Michael said in and angry voice.

"Henry…he came over this morning."

"Why is he there?" Again that jealous tone I hate…I suddenly felt like telling him Mei spent the night as well just to get him more pissed off…but I didn't. I just was in no mood to deal with this today.

"Michael, stop it! I told you not to be jealous if him!"

"I saw him…in the lobby yesterday morning when I left. He was sitting there waiting for me to leave. He didn't seem like much…I could kick his ass you know?" He snaps as his jealous monster rose up inside him. That was so unlike him…the wanting to fight. Michael was one of the calmest people I had ever met.

"Michael I will tell you once and you had better listen. You know what I do for a living…raising zombies and you know my side job of helping the police and you know I am a vampire executioner...and I am good…damn good. You know that right?"

"Yes and you know I hate that you do that…the execution stuff. I don't think it is right and I don't see how you can just kill like you do and not lose sleep over it." He snaps. See total Boy Scout…he has never even seen a vampire. He would change his tune if one started chewing on him. This was about the only time we argued and recently he has been hinting I quit that part of my life. I guess he feels since we are dating more serious now he has a say in what I do. Well he is fucking wrong!

"Your opinion on me and what I do is not the point…the point is you thinking you can fight Henry and win. You can't…not only will you not win but you will die. He does the same thing I do…hunts vampires…and he is a hundred times better than me. If you fought him he would kill you and then I would have a problem because I would then have to go after him and I may not win that fight. Just stay clear of him! Nothing is going on with him and I and nothing ever will!" I am yelling by the time I finish my little speech.

"I never asked you to fight my battles for me, Sam. I don't want you fighting my battles."

I sigh and calm down a little, "Well the problem is that your battles are battles of words for the most part and mine I use a gun. You are on my list Michael…sorry if it hurts your pride and your manhood is hurt that little ole me would have to step in but you don't have what it takes to go against Henry. You are not a killer, Michael."

"And you are? You could just kill someone because they killed someone you care about…not a vampire but a human. You could just murder a human because they killed someone you thought you had to protect?' His voice is no longer angry but now it almost has the sound of unbelief to it.

"Yeah I could and I would and I have." I whisper a little sadly. I can actually feel the disgust from him over the phone.

"I…I have to go…I'll call you later." He whispers.

"Stop being such a fucking boy scout, Michael! There are things out there that will kill you as soon as shake your hand! The world is not all roses and sunshine!" I was pissed! He asked me and I told him the truth! I was not going to lie to him about it.

"Yes and you are one of them." He says and hangs up.

"Fuck you!" I shout into the phone and was more pissed he did not hear it. I raise my hand to throw the phone across the room. Yeah I have a slight temper…maybe more than sight…and I threw things at people I was mad at who I was not going to shoot. But he was not here so the wall looked like a good thing to choose as my target. As I am about the throw the phone it rings again. Shit! I flip it back open.

"What!" I say into the phone.

"Well aren't you little Miss. Grump this morning." The male voce chuckles.

"Damn it, Zimmer, what do you want? I am in no mood today." It was Detective Zimmerman.

"We got the order of execution on the vampire…Melissa Sanford." He says with another chuckle.

"So the warrant turned up something?"

"Yeah, we searched her apartment…she was not there and no sign of her being there in a couple of months…but we did find three rings. Free Mason rings with the symbol of The Order of St. Thomas of Acon and the family identified them as belonging to the victims."

"Any idea on where she is at?"

"Yeah that is the good part. We got a tip from an anonymous source that her resting place is in an abandoned apartment building on the east side."

"Sounds way to convenient huh? Sounds like she is being set up and someone wants us to know she is part of this." I tell him.

"Yeah Stan and I think so too but the chief wants us to move on her. She is part of this we know that."

"Yeah but killing her is not going to stop it. She is no master and that will still be out there. We kill her but it will not stop the murders." I sigh.

"Sounds like you don't want to do this, Sam." Zimmer says quietly.

"No…she is going to die. Don't get me wrong on that. She played her part and now she pays the price. It's just that…I want to know who is doing this." I take a deep breath.

"Yeah we do to so the chief thinks if we capture her she will talk so SWAT is involved now."

I laugh at that but not in humor but in disbelief. "You have got to be fucking kidding me? You and Stan know there is not way we can arrest a vampire! Even one as young as her could rip threw any handcuffs and tear any holding cell apart. And even if we could there is no way she would talk. She can't! Her master controls her and if he does not want her to talk she won't. We could burn her with holy water all day long and all we would get were screams."

The police used to use holy items and holy water to restrain the vampires they arrested but Civil Rights came into play and the Supreme Court made that against the law. It was a violation of the vampires Civil Rights and considered cruel and unusual punishment. I had to admit it I agreed. I could kill them but not torture them and holy water and holy symbols touching a vampires skin was torture.

Zimmer sighs, "Yeah I know and that is why Stan is at the chief's office right now getting his ass chewed off. He said the same thing but not as sweet as you did."

"Ok…but how is this going to affect me doing my job? I am not going in there to arrest her…not fucking way! They want that done then let SWAT take care of it and leave me out. When she kills your SWAT team then call me." I was pissed.

Zimmer chuckles, "No the order is the standard order. You go in and you do your job. You may have to deal with the fall out of having the chief pissed at you but you don't work for him like the rest of us…and even if you did you still would not care. I'll pick you up in thirty minutes and take you to the SWAT briefing room." Zimmer hangs up. God does no one say goodbye anymore?

I then listen to the voice mail from my mom. She wants me to call her and I will but later. My mom moved to San Diego last year after she got remarried. We had our ups and downs…a lot of downs especially after my sister died…but now we are very much ok. I love her and she loves me and I miss her a lot. I talk to her at least twice a week and she worries about my jobs and I can't blame her. He knew husband and I don't get along at all. He is a devout Catholic and the Church has degreed anyone who dabbles in magic should stop and repent or be damned…well I didn't so he feels I am damned.

I flip my phone closed and Henry is standing in the doorway to the kitchen smiling his death smile. "Going hunting?"

I smile back, "Yeah but with the police."

He frowns and nods. He would not be coming with me. Henry stayed away from the police for good reason. "I'll go check with some contacts and try and see if anyone knows who this Mother is while you are gone. I'll get back in touch tomorrow." Henry says and walks to the door.

"Henry…umm…thanks." I tell him as I blush.

He turns and smiles and it is that kind smile he can use…rare but he has one. "We watch each other, Sam…you and me. We may have to kill one another one day but until then we watch each other's backs." He leaves and I could not help but smile.

After he leaves I go get ready for Zimmer to pick me up.


	8. Chapter 8

After Henry left I changed into a pair of khaki cargo pant and a long sleeved tee shirt and then placed a pair of red canvas Converse High tops on my feet. I could have worn my hiking boots but I run better in the Converse…yeah I have to run sometimes. Hey I may be the big bad vampire executioner but sometimes running is the better part of valor. I pick up my golden cross and place it back in the box glad it no longer burned me. I still had Henry's around my neck and would give it back to him later. After I get dressed I put on my shoulder holster, check the clip to make sure it is full, slam it home in the gun, and then place my back up Firestar in a holster behind my back. I then run a brush through my hair and place it in a single ponytail down the center of my back. I then strap my knives in their wrists sheath to my left wrist.

When that is done I go and get my other toys from the closet. I pull out a back pack and make sure I have things I need. Holy water, wooden steaks (I have not used those in years but you can't be too careful), a rubber mallet, and a short sword that was razor sharp. All checked out. I toss my back pack on the bedroom floor and then open my gun safe inside my walk in closet. I look over the Mini Uzi and decide not to take it. It was illegal for me to have it and I was going to be playing with the police today. Instead I choose my Beneli M4 Super 90 12 gauge shot gun. It was a good combat shot gun with a short barrel and easy for someone of my size to handle and had a collapsible stock and a pistol grip. It was an automatic shotgun that held eight rounds and I had a shoulder sling to it. It was strictly a military weapon and I loved it. I grabbed a box of shells with silver coated buck shot of course and lay the gun aside. Next I pull out another shotgun, this one a sawed off Mossberg 500 pump action 12 gauge. It had a swivel swing that I attached to my shoulder and it hung down loose until I was ready to use it. Illegal since it was sawed off but the shot gun the police would not mind. I used it up close and personal when I did not have time to fold the stock on the Beneli…which happened a lot. This was gift from Henry several years ago when I saw him and he teasingly asked what Santa could bring a naughty girl like me for Christmas. I laughed and told him a sawed off shot gun. That Christmas Eve after I got back from a party on my kitchen counter was a box and inside was the Mossberg and a note that read…**From Santa.** Funny thing was that night I was not pissed Henry got into my apartment when I was not there. And all I got him was a damn book – _Ghouls for Dummies._ But hey, what do you get the man who has everything in the way of killing, right?

I gather up my toys and walk out of my apartment to go wait for Zimmer. I know I looked strange to say the least. I had two handguns attached to my body, two shotguns (one across each shoulder), and a back pack full of vampire killing stuff and extra ammo for each gun. I hear a door open and a small dog start yapping at me and then a friendly voice.

"Oh sorry for Cuddles, Samantha." The voice says. I frown at the dog's yapping but smile at the voice as I turn around.

"Hello, Mrs. Brookins." I grinned. Elizabeth Brookins is a widow about sixty eight or nine and does not care who knows it. I respect her for that. She is not one of those older ladies who try to hide their age but instead she seems to flaunt it. Not that she looked that old. She actually looked good and her neatly trimmed gray hair and slight makeup looked perfect on her. She was thin but not frail looking. Mrs. Brookins was a retired High School English teacher and I treated her as one. She got to call me Samantha…I was tired of correcting her anyway. I hated her dog through. It…ok…ok…_he_ was a small Jack Russell Terrier and always hyper. And the worse part was the damn thing liked me. I hated the dog but I liked her.

"I met you new beau the other day, Samantha…Michael. Such a nice young man he was. He looks like the marrying type." She was so damned concerned I would end up a lonely old woman. I guess since she had forty plus years of a happy marriage we all should.

I smile, "Yes he is nice. I…umm…I really have to go, Mrs. Brookins. I am kind of in a hurry."

"I can see that. You be careful, dear. I mean that, Samantha. I will say a prayer for you." She smiles. One thing I liked about her was that she knew what I did and it did not faze her in the least.

"Thanks, Mrs. Brookins. I appreciate that…I really do."

"My pleasure, dear. Now do you have your cross?" She asks as she reaches down and pets Cuddles.

"Yes, m'am, I have it." God I feel like I am talking to my mother.

"Good…well you had best get going and I am cooking some nice beef stew tonight from my grandma's recipe. I will bring some over. I know how much you like it." Ok another reason I like her…she feeds me and God can she cook. Her beef stew is just incredible.

"Yes, m'am. Well…umm…I had better go. Can't keep the vampires waiting till sundown you know." I chuckle and she gives me a stern look. "Sorry" I mumble under my breath. She hates my cavalier humor at times and is one of the few people who can make me feel guilty. I start walking to the elevator.

"And bring that nice handsome man over to meet me officially one evening. You know Cuddles and I all almost always home." She says as I walk to the elevator and I hear Cuddles yapping at me. I chuckle and wonder if Mei would have eaten him if she had changed. Yeah…bad Sam…I know.

I get to the lobby and give our doorman Lewbert a glare. He hates me and I hate him and I swear he looks worse than any zombie I have ever seen. He may have said something rude to me as he usually does but his eyes never left the small arsenal I was carrying. See it is good to go around carrying a lot of weapons. I look outside and was glad to see Zimmer already waiting in front.

"Tell that man he is double parked!" Lewbert yells at me after he found his courage.

"You tell him…he's a cop!" I yell over my shoulder.

Zimmer smiles at me as he gets out of the car and opens his trunk. "Damn, girl, what type of dance are you going to today? It's just one vampire and it is daylight."

I place the bag and shot guns in the trunk. "Yeah and since when did that ever stop them from asking us to dance with them, Zimmer? Last time you and I were invited to their party it was daylight and the damn things came out of their coffins."

He gave me a look of pity. It was the time I jumped in front of him and got my arm chewed on so he could get away. "Yeah…umm…I guess you are right…umm…"

I laugh, "Jesus, Zimmer, stop! You would have done the same for me. You ran out of ammo…it happens. I know you and I know you have the guts to stand toe to toe with them."

He grins and pushes his glasses up on his nose, "Yeah, but all I got you while you were in the hospital was some flowers. If I would have saved your ass liked you saved mine I would have expected something more…a lot more." He gives me his wink.

"Let's just go, Zimmer, before I call your wife." I grin as I get in the passenger side of his car.

"No way, Sam, she does not swing that way…maybe you could convince her for me and we could have a nice little threesome." He laughs as he gets in the car.

"Zimmer if I did your wife she would never come back to you." I laugh and he starts the car and drives.

I look around the car and see it is a wreck. Fast food bags everywhere, old Styrofoam cups scattered about, and it even smells like it looks. "God, Zimmer, I hope Kathy never rides in this thing. How can such a sweet pretty lady like her marry a slob like you?"

"Hell, Sam, she chased after me. I guess she heard that I was hung…"

"Stop! No more! That is way too much information!" I chuckle.

He just shoots me that grin of his and focuses back on the rode. The rest of the drive to the police station we are silent. We had our jokes and now it was time to focus on what we had to do. He pulls into the parking lot of the police station and helps me carry my bag and one of my shot guns after a brief struggle of me telling him I can do it. I hate when people try to help me like this. He quickly reminds me that we are walking into a police station and I am a civilian and the other cops my not take it to kindly if I walked in there armed to the gills with guns. I give in and let him carry the bag and the sawed off.

"Stan going to join us?" I ask as we walk.

"No…he's sitting this one out. All you have from the squad is me today."

"Why…that's not like him?"

"Yeah well…he had no choice in the matter." Zimmer says with a grin.

I stop and look at him, "Is the chief that pissed at him?"

The man chuckles and starts walking, "No it wasn't the chief's decision. It was the squads. Tomorrow is his oldest sixteenth birthday…you remember Daniel…and the squad got together and told him he was not going and if he did we would all ask for transfers."

I nodded and understood. There was a chance…a good chance…one of the good guys would die and they did not want that good guy to be their lieutenant on the eve of his son's big day. I was also mad…well upset. "Why didn't anyone tell me his kid was turning sixteen? I need to get him a present!" I yell at Zimmer.

Zimmer chuckled again, "Sorry…you still have time. Give it to him at the cookout this weekend. But you had better make it a good one because Daniel is going to be pissed when you show up with your new love toy. He has had a crush on you since the first time he met you."

I grin…I liked the boy. He was sweet and kind of reminded me of Freddie. "Well I don't know if Michael will be coming."

"Oh…trouble in paradise, Sam?"

"So umm…I bet Stan was pissed he could not come along today." I ignore him and change the subject. I hated talking about my personal life to others.

Zimmer laughs as he opens the door to the police station, "You could say that. He told us if we wanted out of his squad then give him our transfer request by the end of the day and he would have us all working traffic by tomorrow."

I laugh as I walk past him and into the station. That sounded like Stan.

I was sitting in the SAWT briefing for what felt like ages but was only two hours. God I hated working with SWAT for several reasons. Not that they weren't good. They were…they were good at human crisis but they sucked at vampire ones. I didn't blame them really. They just needed better training. The main problem was that they were cops and cops are not supposed to take lives if they can help it and dealing with a vampire or a shapeshifter your first reaction should be to kill it. Zimmer already handed me the order of execution and I stuck it in my cargo pocket without reading it. It was the same wording I almost had memorized so there was not need to look over it but I kept it with me at all times. I learned the hard way a couple of years ago what happens if I don't have it with me.

I was given the order to execute a rouge werewolf that had killed and half eaten a family of four and the police tracked him to the mall. The son of a bitch was just sitting in the food court in human form eating a damn cheeseburger. I walked up to him and he even smiled at me and asked if I was going to shoot him in front of all these people. I did. I put a bullet in his head and two in his chest without a word. Yep in front of the mothers and their kids and everybody. The order states that I have the right to carry out my duty of execution regardless of where I was at as long as I deemed no civilians would be harmed. I like the "As long as I" part. That was up to me to decide if it was safe. Well there was no way I was going to give a lycanthrope…a murdering one at that as well…a chance to get the upper hand on me. Even in human from the man was faster and could bench press a small truck. So I deemed it safe and carried out my order. He could have killed anyone in the food court if I had given the slightest hesitation. Once the screaming started some cops surrounded me with guns drawn and after I dropped my pistol I was handcuffed and taken downtown. I left the damn order of execution in my car and they had no idea who I was and to all the witnesses it looked like a girl just shot a man for no reason. You could not tell what he was just by looking at him. It took five hours before Stan finally got the word and I was released. I even made the evening news. Boy was my mom pissed.

My thoughts turn back to the SWAT captain…Miller I think his name was…going over the layout of the building. I look at the clock on the wall and it reads four p.m.

"God! How long are we going to sit here? We are burning daylight." I groan and I guess I did it a little too loudly since the captain stopped talking.

"You have a question, Ms. Puckett?" He asks in a not to polite manner.

"No but I have a statement, Captain Miller." I shot back and I hear Zimmer chuckle and mumble "Oh God here we go."

"First it is Mullins…Captain Mullins. What is your statement?"

"Well how long are we gong to sit here and listen to you go over this again? It has been what? Three…four times…in case you did not know I would prefer to do this while it is still light outside. A better chance she will be asleep."

"I am sorry we bore you, Ms. Puckett, but my team needs to get this right. The mayor wants to make sure this one is done by the books. He told the chief personally he does not want any cowboy…or maybe I should say cowgirl…antics. Per his orders we are to arrest her not kill her." He says and turns back to the large blowup of the layout of the building.

"Well partner." I say in my best cowgirl impression, "In case you tinhorns don't know…I got this here piece of paper that say I ain't goin arrest shit! My here paper says I get to kill this here bad injun and it is signed by a state judge who sits on that thar high state supreme court and his cards sure as hell beats the mayors cards in any poker game."

Zimmer is laughing so hard he is holding his stomach and I hear a few chuckles from some of the other SWAT Team. The captain's face is red with anger but I did not care. There was no way in hell I was going to try and arrest a vampire. I am sure he was a good cop…hell a great one to be SWAT Captain but he just did not get it.

"Ms. Puckett, may I see you outside, please." He says sternly.

I stand up, "Sure thing cap'n." I follow him outside and he shuts the door to the room once we are in the hall. Damn I did not realize how big he was. He must be about six two.

"Ms. Puckett, I know you have a job to do and frankly I hope you get to do your job. I don't want or even feel we can arrest this vampire." His voice is calm. "But I don't ever want you to under mind my authority in front of my men again." Now not clam. "Those men in there are my men and I want to see all of them go home tonight. We have our briefing so each man will make sure they do their job so they one…don't screw up and get killed and two…they don't screw up and get the man next to them killed. Hell if was up to me I would let you go in that damn building alone and kill the bitch but it is not up to me! Do I make myself clear?"

Ok I kind of feel bad now. He is just looking out for the safety of his men and I have to respect that. "Ok…I apologize for my remark…but I do want to get one thing clear as well. There is no way we can arrest her. If you think we can let me know now and I walk. I will go into that building with my own backup and do the job. I have my order also, captain, and it says I execute a vampire that is involved in a terrible crime. So what is it? Do you get in the way of me doing my job and I go alone or do your men back me up?"

He looks at me and grins, "Stan said you were a piece of work. When I first saw you I thought no way was this the Executioner. Look, Sam, can I call you Sam?" I nod my head…he asked so he gets brownie points. "I really don't give a shit what the mayor said and I agree with you. Lets work together and get out of this alive and I help you and you help me. Deal?" He sticks his hand out and I take it. I like his handshake. Firm and no extra pressure to show me how strong he is or to try and prove he is a man.

I smile, "Ok…deal. Just out of curiosity…why did you not think I could be the Executioner?"

He blushes. "Ummm…well…see I was expecting…well."

"Drop it…I know why." God I hated that. They see a cute petite girl and think there is no way she can kill a vampire. I should be used to it by now but I wasn't. I open the door to the room and walk in giving Zimmer a wink as the man shook his head at me.

When I sat down he leaned in close. "Did you get detention?"

I put my hand over my mouth and giggled and could not help it. The captain glared at me again and I raised my hand to let him know I was sorry.

To the captain's credit he wrapped up quickly and I was soon realizing another reason I hated working with SWAT. I had to wear that damn protective gear and besides it being hot and made me sweat like crazy they never had my size. The flat jackets were always too big and I looked like a little girl playing dress up in oversized clothes. I never knew why I had to wear one anyway. They may be good at helping stop bullets but a vampire or lycanthrope would slice right threw them. I was told it was protocol and if I wanted to go I had to wear one and a helmet. At least the helmet fit and it did have that head set in it to communicate with the team members. I had that oversized protective jacket on and was trying to put my shoulder holster over it with little success and cursing like a sailor when I noticed someone behind me talking.

"Here try this…it works easier." I turn and see a young man about my age or younger holding a nylon holster. "Your gun should fit. This one goes around you waist and your gun is strapped to your thigh." I take if from him and nod my thanks. He chuckles as I try and figure the thing out. "Here, let me help." He says and drops to his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my leg just in time for me to see Zimmer walking by. Just great…fucking great.

"Wow, Sam, you make friends easily but don't you think you could wait until we get the job done before you get all freaky here in the briefing room."

The SWAT Officer stands up blushing and I just flip Zimmer off. "Ignore him. We ummm…that is just us. He is like a big brother…a perverted big brother." I shot the last part and hear Zimmer chuckle.

The officer nods, "Its ok…I was done anyway." I slid my gun in the holster and then pull it back out to test how quick I could get to it. I could and fast.

"Damn…I like this. I may have to get me one of these." I smile at the man.

"Keep that one. I got another one." He smiles and I look at him closely. He was about five ten and around my age maybe a year younger. He had black hair cropped short like all SWAT seemed to have and already looked like he needed a shave. I figured by his dark completion and eyes he was Hispanic.

"Welcome, names Hernandez. Emilio Hernandez." He stuck out his hand and I shook it. Nice hand shake again…no macho bullshit.

"Sam Puckett." I introduce myself.

"Yeah…I…umm we…I mean the team…we know who you are." He says nervously. "I umm…I don't mean to pry…but they say you have the highest vampire kill ratio in the country. Is that true?"

I slid my pistol in my neat new holster and lock it in place. I look up at Hernandez and shake my head, "No…I am told it is the second highest. I don't keep count but apparently someone does." I snap at him and he takes a step back.

"I…I didn't mean to offend you…it…its just…I…I never went up against a vampire. Hell I never even seen one."

So that was it…he was scared and it took a lot of balls for him to tell me what he just did. Macho bullshit I never could understand but fear...fear I knew to well. "Got a cross?" I ask him and he nods, "Good…wear it at all times. Don't look them in the eyes. Even one this young can mind fuck you. She won't be good at it and it is easy to break but in that five or six seconds she has you she can make you turn on your friends and shot them. Never look them in the eyes. Don't be fooled by what she looks like. I saw her driver's license picture when I go the order of execution and she's cute but don't let that fool you. She is a vampire and she will kill you if given the chance. Don't try to fight hand to hand. She will be much stronger and faster and would be able to toss you around like a rag doll with one hand. Listen to you captain and don't play hero…do your job but nothing extra. And lastly please don't shoot me in the back. I tend to get upset when I get shot at and shoot back." I grin at the last part a he smiles and seems to relax.

"Yeah but it is daylight…she's going to be asleep right?"

I shake my head, "Maybe…maybe not. They don't have to sleep everyday. She is young so my bet would be on yes she will be asleep. The younger they are the more likelihood they sleep. But don't count on it. Always think of the worse case scenario."

"Thanks, Sam, I…well…don't tell the guys ok. I would never hear the end of it." He smiles at me. Nice smile…I could get along with him I think. He turns to walk away.

"Hey, Emilio!" I call out and he turns, "I am scared shitless every time I go against them even when they are asleep. Nothing to be ashamed of. After all…we are only human." He laughs and walks back to his team.

The SWAT van pulls up to the abandoned apartment building and we file out and they break up into two teams. The team is an eight man team so they split up four and four. I go with team number one and Zimmer does too so we have six. SWAT carries those nice assault rifles and I would love to get my hands one on. I forgot to ask if they had silver bullets. You would think so but may not be the case. Ever since vamps and shapeshifters were outed the price of silver jumped way up and I was told once by Stan it was not in the police budget. I personally buy every member of the Ghost Squad three boxes of silver ammo apiece for Christmas every year. I give Zimmer a look and he smiles at me and puts his hand over the mouth piece of his mike.

"Hell, girl, I know who is going to get my ass out alive. None of theses guys have ever gone up against a vamp and we have."

"Yeah so maybe you should go with them then since you and I have the only experience." I snap.

"Damn you are sounding like Stan." He slinks off to join the other team. I knew what he was doing and it pissed me off. He was not going with me because he thought I would help him. He was going with me to watch over me in case I got into trouble. God I hated male macho bullshit!

We make are way into the building with no problem and our team breaks down the door of the apartment where the vampire is supposed to be sleeping. The first thing that hit me was the smell. It smelled of death. That rotting decaying corpse smell. Vampires don't smell that way but people do…dead people. I then notice how dark it is in the apartment and look at the windows and see each one of them have been carefully painted black. I knew why…I used to do have my guest room in my apartment that way for Carly…I changed it back to normal about four months ago…it was to keep the sunlight out. Looks like the tip was correct…we had the right apartment now just to find the vampire. I bring my Beneli shotgun up to my shoulder in the ready position and click off the safety.

"Ok, team, be alert." I jump as the voice sounds in my ear piece. I had forgotten the mikes. "Puckett, you take point." Great send the little girl in first.

I walk slowly through the larger living room and feel a little envious…hell my apartment is not this big…and then I stop and raise my hand and point with the barrel of my gun, with flashlight attached, to something on the floor. I move closer and see it is a body and I role it over with my foot. Been dead for a while and no vampire. "Got a body in here." I say into the mike and keep going slowly.

"Hold up, Puckett." I stop at the voice in the ear piece. "Place is too small for all of us and if we have to shoot then we will risk hitting one another. Team two out. Zimmerman I want you with team one." I smile and was glad. He was right about one thing he and I were the only two with experience and that counted. "Break up. Puckett, you, Wilkes, and Scarborough take the bedroom first. Zimmer you lead Hernandez and Jefferson into the kitchen and sweep around to the second bedroom. There should be a second entry from the kitchen to the second bedroom. If you don't find anything meet up in the hall way to search the last bedroom."

I walk slowly to the first bedroom with my gun out in front of me using the flashlight on the barrel…God I hated no light…and when I come to the door it is closed. I look over my shoulder and see Wilkes and Scarborough looking nervous but ready. I reach down and twist the door knob and it turns. I quietly push the door open and think why am I being quiet for? Hell…if they are awake they know we are here. Vampires can hear a damn pin drop a mile away. The only thing that hears better than them are shapeshifters. But I go in slow and quiet anyway…makes me feel better. With the butt of the shotgun still pressed against my shoulder and the gun raised at the ready I use the light to shine around the dark room. In the corner I see them. Not one but two coffins. Great no one said two vampires. By the time I kill the first one the second one could already be up and tearing my throat out. And it would be up to me to kill them. The order of execution was mine and I was the executioner. The cops could and would help in a case of them defending themselves or protecting others if the vampires attacked. But if they are just laying there snug as a bug in their coffin then I do the job…they can't. They are not executioners but protectors. Me…I guess that made me the killer.

"I got two…repeat two coffins. Not one." I say into the mike and look at Wilkes and Scarborough. "You guys cover my ass. The lid on that second coffin even looks like it is moving you fucking shoot." They both nod and point their rifles to the second coffin.

I move to the first one and swing my sawed off shotgun up after I sling the Beneli on my left shoulder. The sawed off was better since I was about to get up close and personal with a vampire who I prayed to God was asleep and the right one. The problem was I had only one order of execution. I could only kill one vampire legally. If I killed the other one while he or she slept it would be murder. Now if it tried to get me first then I was ok…self defense. But to just kill it as it lay oh so peaceful in its coffin I was going to jail for a long time. I normally would not have sweated it and did them both in…but hells bells…I was with the fucking cops! That put a damper on my little plan. The other problem I had was if I chose the wrong coffin it may awaken the girl vampire I came to kill and she could get out and start killing. She would be stuck in the apartment because it was daylight and we would get her I am sure but after how many deaths? I take a deep breath and slowly open the lid with one hand and keeping the other on the shotgun and a finger on the trigger. Shooting a sawed off twelve gauge one handed was a bitch…it hurt like hell…but it was better than dead. The lid opens more and I peak in with the barrel of the shotgun pointed where the vampires head should be…yep should be. All hell then decided to break lose at that moment.

"Fuck! Empty!" I shout into the mike and then suddenly gun shots coming from somewhere else in the apartment. I quickly open the other coffin and empty as well. I keep hearing automatic rifle fire, a man scream, and then over the mike I hear someone…I don't know who…shouting. "Man down…man down." I freeze for just a moment.

"Zimmer…talk to me…please God…talk to me Zimmer!" I shout into the mike.

"Kind of fucking busy here, Sam!" I hear Zimmer's voice over the mike and more gunfire. I smile.

The gunfire stops and I hear yelling and a girls voice screaming. I look at the two SWAT team guys. "Silver bullets?" I ask and they both shake their heads. "Holy symbols?" The both nod. Their scared and so am I. "Get them out and stay here." I shout at them. "I'm coming in from the right." I say into the mike.

"Come in, Sam. One vampire down…male…one on her knees we got cornered with crosses out and one of our guys down." Zimmer says as I run into the kitchen. I see the white light of Zimmer's cross holding a female vampire on her knees with Hernandez sanding over her with his rifle at her head. She was the one we came for. I glance and see one of the SWAT members on the floor with blood pouring out of what used to be his throat. He was dead…I knew that. Jefferson…I needed to remember that name and include his family in my prayers tonight. Almost right next to him in the nice roomy kitchen is the other vampire with his head almost gone. Must have been Zimmer's doing because he I knew had silver bullets. I look back at Hernandez.

"Shoot her! Fucking shoot her!" I scream and he looks up at me. I did not want to give her the chance to even move. She was lightning quick and could move before you had a chance to blink.

"I…I can't…she…she is not resisting." He tells me.

The girl looks up at me as she shields her eyes from the light of the cross. I could make out her face and her driver's license photo did not do her justice. She was cute…very cute and looked about seventeen or eighteen with short blonde hair. She should be getting ready for a date or going to the mall with her friends instead of being one of the damned who was also part of committing three murders. She was sacred…very scared and I knew she was not going to move.

"Please…please don't kill me…he…he made me…us do it. Please." She begged.

I toss my back pack to the floor. "Who…who made you do it?"

She screams again as if in pain. "I…I can't…he…he won't let me tell. Please…oh God…please don't kill me."

I bend down and open the back pack and pull out the short sword and hear she screams again. "You can't…you can't kill her!" Hernandez screams.

I hand Zimmer the sword and point to the lifeless vampire on the ground. "Cut that one's head off." He takes the sword and swallows hard but nods his head. I turn back to Hernandez. "If you're not going to kill her get the fuck out of the way." I bring my sawed off shot gun level to the girls head.

About that time I hear a dull chunking sound and knew Zimmer did what I asked and then the room filled with light and more men. Captain Mullins arrived with two other SWAT. He goes to the body on the floor and checks it over and stands up. He looks at me and turns to one of his men. "Go to the van and call it in. We got one of ours down and two dead vampires and an unknown body.

"No…you can't kill her! It…it will be murder. She is giving up!" Hernandez yells at me as the vampire begs not to die. I push him out of the way and he grabs my right arm.

"Let go, Hernandez." I whisper harshly.

"Hernandez over here now! Let her do her job!" Mullins orders.

Hernandez doesn't let go of me but pushes my gun down. "You can't just kill her!" I take just a moment to look into his eyes and he was not vamped. He was being a cop. A cop's job is to protect and save lives and try not to get anyone killed or kill anyone. Even if that anyone is a bad guy they are to subdue and arrest the bad guy…not kill them it possible especially of said bad guy was on her knees begging not to die. I had enough of this. My job was to kill. I use one of my martial arts moves and leg sweep him and he falls to the floor. I point my shot gun in his face. I was not worried about the vampire…a first for me. She was young, scared, and Zimmer had his gun…with silver bullets…pointed at her head. She moved wrong and she was dead…hell she was dead anyway but I guess she was hoping for mercy when she saw Hernandez's reaction.

"Don't fuck with me, Hernandez. Let me do my job and I will let you up!" I tell him.

"You…you just can't kill her…she is giving up. It's not right! And…and now you will kill me?"

"Let him up, Puckett!" I hear Mullins order.

"Right or wrong plays no part in this! She dies!" I reach in my cargo pocket and pull out the order of execution and toss it to Mullins' feet still keeping my shotgun pointed at Hernandez's head. "Read him the second paragraph!"

Mullin does not move. "I am familiar with what it says. We had to take a class on it."

"Then tell him! Fucking tell him!" I shot back.

Mullins sighs, "It basically states that the executioner will do all in his or her power to carry out the order of execution and if anyone regardless if they are a civilian or a member of any branch of law enforcement, local, state, or federal tries to prevent the executioner from doing his or her job the executioner is authorized to use deadly force on said civilian or law enforcement."

I look back at Hernandez, "That means you. I would be in my right to scatter your fucking brains across this kitchen along with hers!"

He give me a defiant look and I have to give him credit…he sticks to high moral values. "Go ahead…fucking do it! Who the hell made you judge, jury and…"

"Executioner?" I interrupt. "The fucking state and federal government did!" Well the last part was not true. The state did but not the feds. There was a rumor going around that they were going to give executioners Federal Marshall status through. We would get a badge and everything. How cool would that be…Sam Puckett Federal Marshall. Or how scary…Henry with a badge!

"Let him up, Sam." I heard Zimmer say calmly, "You proved your point."

I back away from Hernandez and he gets to his feet without taking his eyes off me and walks over to Mullins.

"You can't…you just can't let her kill that girl." She pleads with his captain.

"She's not a fucking, girl, Hernandez! She's a fucking monster!" I yell as I walk over to the pleading girl…monster.

"Yeah and so the fuck are you! You are supposed to be one of the good guys but you are no more better than them…hell you are worse than them!" Hernandez shouts at me and I had to admit…it kind of hurt my feelings.

"Wilkes, take Emilio to the van." I hear Mullins say. "Do your fucking job, Puckett, so we can clean this mess up…you are never working with my men again."

I ignore him and focus on the vampire I am now standing over. "Please…please don't…he…he made me. You don't understand! He…he wouldn't let us feed and made…made us help him with promises of blood…it…it drove us mad! Please…please don't kill me!" She begged and looked up at me with such beautiful blue eyes while I held my shotgun about two inches from her head. She was so scared she was not even trying to vamp me. No that she could have…she was no where near strong enough for that.

"Yes I do understand." I knew first hand what a powerful master vampire could do.

"Then…then you can't kill me…please…oh God…please. You know he made me…made us do it…Please!" She pleaded.

"Yeah, I know." I say and pull the trigger and her head splatters open and is almost gone spraying blood, bone, and brain matter on the kitchen and on me.

As her body falls lifelessly to the ground I put two more shots into her heart and I can see the tile floor through her. Her heart was completely gone. She was dead and not coming back. I let my shot gun slide down on its sling to dangle at my waist and used the sword to cut what was left of her head off. The rest of her the paramedics would clean up. They would take her body and that of the other vampire to the morgue and have them cremated.

Zimmer was driving me home and we had not said a word. I cleaned up at the station and was now wearing a police tee shirt that was way to big for me and a pair of sweat pants borrowed from a female cop almost my size. They were still loose on me but it was better than my blood and gore splattered clothes. Before I left the station I put the neat leg holster I liked so much in front of Hernandez's locker; I don't think he would want me to have it anymore. As we got closer to my apartment Zimmer finally talked.

"You were really worried about me huh?" His question made me smile.

I turn to him and grin, "No…not you. I was worried that I would have to tell Kathy that her fool of a husband got killed."

He chuckled, "You really like my wife don't you, Sam?"

I nod and smiled as I thought of his kind pretty wife, "Yeah I do…she is a nice lady…better than you deserve. I respect her…and not just for putting up with your sorry ass."

"She likes you too…a lot. So since you respect her then maybe if she told you then you would listen." He says calmly.

"Tell me what?" I grin expecting some sort of sexual comment.

"That you need a break…a vacation…something. Get out of it, Sam. If just for a little while. Take a break…you have done enough for a while." He looks at me as we stopped at a red light. "You scared me today, Sam. Not for my safety but for yours. I was scared for you today. Scared of what you may have done to Hernandez. This is not like you, Sam. I know that and I think you have seen to much in such a short period of time and need a break before you go over the edge."

I sigh and sink lower in the seat. "Aren't you cops supposed to be able to run red lights and shit? I thought that was one of the perks."

He did not say another word as he drove me home or even as he dropped me off. He did not even say goodbye and neither did I. We weren't mad at one another. He said what he had to and he left it up to me to either take he advice or keep going. He knew me to well and knew not to push me because I pushed back. Zimmer spoke his piece and figured it was up to me to take his advice or not. I knew he would tell Stan and that sucked…sucked big time. Stan was not like Zimmer. Stan would not give advice but tell me what to do and maybe even stop calling me in on cases for a while. I did not like that thought. True if I never saw another mutilated body again the rest of my life I would be happy but I liked working with the police…with the squad; they were a good group of guys. Stan would not be able to stop me from doing the execution job. That was not his call but helping the Ghost Squad was. I walk to the elevator carrying my gear and even Lewbert did not mess with me this time.


	9. Chapter 9

I walked back to my apartment and was glad to see Lewbert's shift was over as I nodded to Frank the evening doorman. I was carrying my cargo that consisted of two shotguns, two pistols, and a backpack full of my vampire killing gear and dressed in borrowed gym clothes when I saw Michael talking with Mrs. Parsons in the hallway. "Shit." I muttered under my breath as Cuddles came running up to me bouncing like a rat on speed. Funny thing was, I was glad to see that damn dog over Michael. Didn't he basically call me a cold blooded killer this morning?

"Hello, Samantha, I am glad you are home safe." Mrs. Parsons said with a smile and then called her dog off of me. "I was just telling Michael that I made that stew for you and gave it to him so he could bring it to you."

I just nodded and saw Michael had a large plastic container in his hand. He looked at me but I avoided his gaze. I did not want to deal with him right now. I did not want to deal with anyone right now. I just wanted a hot bath, food (I was terribly hungry even if I did not want to eat and I knew the reason…I had been here before. Carly), and to go to bed early…and alone. I walk to my door and unlock it and hold it open as I look at Michael.

"Well, coming? I don't want to stand out here all night!" I snap and he walked in. I smile at Mrs. Parsons and she gives me that grin two women can give when they know that one of them is pissed off at her boyfriend and all hell is about to break lose.

I do not say a word as I sit on the couch and unload the shotguns, place the sawed off on the floor to be cleaned later, and walked into my room and put my backpack up and the Beneli shotgun back in the gun safe. I call out to Michael to place some of the stew in the microwave for me and take off my pistols. When done I go into the kitchen and see him sitting at the small table while I hear the microwave running.

"I did not think you wanted me hear after this morning." Michael said as he smiled at me. God…why did he have to do that? His smile is just so damn sexy!

"I don't. But it would have been rude to keep you in the hall."

"So how was your day? Did you go to the gun range or something?" He asked.

I had to laugh at that. "You know damn well where I went! And yes I killed a vampire today!"

He looks down at his nice big hands I happed to like, "Well I hope it was legal." He mutters.

"Fuck you, Michael! Yes it was legal and we lost one of the good guys today! Jefferson…that was his name." I yell as I get up to get my food from the microwave.

"Sam, I'm sorry…about everything. Just now and this morning and your friend."

"Friend? I just met the guy today but that does not matter…hell I don't even know anything about him. If he had a family or was married…or anything…all I know was one of the fucking monsters got him and he is not coming back!" I snap at him as I turn my head to look at him.

Ok, he did say he was sorry and that counted for a little and maybe I was being a bitch, but I was in no mood for him tonight after what happened today. Yeah I killed a vampire and had a legal execution order and all…but it just did not sit right with me. The girl was begging not do die. One never begged me before and I knew she could not control what she did. I had to question myself on this one. Was I becoming like Henry….God I hope not!

"Sam, I…I don't know what else to do…I am trying here. I like you…a lot and may even love you. I don't want to lose you." Michael almost whined.

He said the magic word…love. Well that was not the word I wanted to hear from him...from anyone. Hell not even from Carly right now. "Michael…maybe you should leave…for good." I say softly.

"What? Sam, I did not mean those things I said this morning. I was just pissed that Henry guy was here and all."

I sigh…this was harder than I thought it was going to be, but we did not belong together. Who was I fooling anyway when I first started dating him? Maybe I just wanted to date someone normal…not a vampire or a shapeshifter…someone human. But it would not work because of who I am. I am starting to see that by me playing with the monsters I may be coming one and what Carly did to me with those damn marks just brought me a little closer.

"Michael, I am sorry. I cannot give you or your family what you or they want. I will never be the white picket fence girl with the kids and the dog…hell I hate dogs. That is not me. I am who I am and I am not going to change."

He stood up and I could tell he was angry and hurt, "So you are going to do this forever? Kill vampires, raise the dead, and work with the police on those horrible crimes?'

"Yes I am. I like what I do, Michael. I really do and I will keep doing it. I will kill them until the kill me or I get to old to even try. And as far as raising the dead…I have to. Not only do I like that job but I have to. If I don't the power will overwhelm me until I get better control over it and I have not met anyone else like me that can help. And I like working with the police, Michael. We just aren't meant to be together."

"Sam, please…we can work something out."

"No…I don't want to Michael…I am sorry…I really am. I am not made to be a girlfriend like you want and deserve. You deserve someone who you can come home to and talk about your days at work like a normal couple. We will never have that…and…I…I don't love you, Michael. I can never love you. I am sorry." There the truth.

He looks at me for a long moment, "Fine! Then we are done!" And he just leaves. No fighting, no begging, no trying to make it work. Just out the door and I was glad. I felt a little upset but over all it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. I eat my stew….three damn bowls of it, which I curse Carly for…and go take my bath and crawl into bed thinking of the day and as I close my eyes all I can see are two beautiful blue tear filled eyes begging me not to kill.

I do not know how long I was asleep when I wake up and find myself sitting in front of a mirror. I look over myself and frown as I did not like what I saw. My long blonde hair was pile up on top of my head with small curls coming down to frame my face. In my hair were small diamonds to make it sparkle. What I was wearing pissed me off the most. I was wearing something out of a movie…one of those period pieces. I had on an Elizabethan Corset that was cut straight across my breast line and it two sparked with precious stones. I stood up and to get a look at my dress and sit back down. It was a off white flowing dress from the same period as the corset and my hair style. I was also wearing white thigh highs that were tied in place by blue ribbon and I could tell I was not wearing any underwear.

"Ok, Carly, enough! Why am I here and why and I dressed like this?" I say aloud.

I knew this was her doing and her dream. I hear her giggling and look in the mirror and see her walking to me. Yes vampires can give off reflections. I think the old wives tell goes back to when people believed mirrors were a gateway to your soul and since vampires don't have souls anymore…or I don't think…I am still confused on that…but people made that myth up. I had to admit, pissed at her or not, she looked beautiful. She was in a similar style outfit as me but hers was a crimson color that made her pale skin just almost glow…she did have her hair down through. She walked up and stood behind me as her fingers caressed my neck…damn it felt good.

"But, Samantha, you look so beautiful like this…so lovely." She purred in her seductive voice.

I stand up and turn to face her. "Well I don't like it. And why am I here?"

Carly smiled and it was so sweet and I felt my anger start to wash away. I did not want that...I wanted to be angry with her for what she did to me! Carly waved her hand across her chest and grinned. "Happy now?" She said.

I look down and see that I am naked but for the white thigh highs tied up by the blue ribbons. "Carly, stop fucking around! I am in no mood for this!"

Carly frowns, "You should no curse, Sam. And in the mood for what?" She had been trying to get me to stop cursing for years. She did not put me back in clothes but she did let my hair down.

"Why am I here? And why did you do that to me…mark me? Why, Carly…why did you do that?" I feel tears coming to my eyes as I ask her why she would betray me like she did.

Carly wrapped her arms around me and I hesitate at first but I never could resist her even when she did not roll my mind with her tricks and soon I am in her arms hugging her tight and placed my head in the crook between her shoulder blade and neck and started crying harder. "Why, Carly, why did you do that to me?"

I felt Carly's hand stoke my hair, "I am sorry, Sam, I truly am sorry. I…I had not choice, dear Samantha. Please understand that. She is starving me and it hurts, baby, it hurts so bad but with the two marks I can feed off of your strength and she cannot take that from me like she can the blood. She is angry at me for it and punished me harshly but that is one thing she cannot control. And…and it allows me to escape her in my dreams if just for a little while and I can see you without her coming to get me again. Please, Sam, please don't be angry. I…I love you and I needed to see you so terribly."

Carly's words were soft and sincere and I knew she thought what she did was right, but damn it…she forced the marks on me! It was not right! One thing about Carly and other vampires, especially the older ones, is they think we humans are their play things…their toys. As much as Carly told me she loved me I was still a human and maybe she saw me as that…her toy to play with. But I was no ones toy or play thing…I push her back from me.

"No! I don't want them, Carly! Take them back! I do not want to be your servant. I never wanted to be your servant! All I wanted from you was love and…and you cannot even give me that without trying to control me!"

"Sam…that is not true. You know how much I enjoy giving up control to you when we make love...how much I like it when you are in charge." She gives me that damn smile I love and hate at the same time.

"Stop fucking around…and don't you dare tell me not to curse! Take them back, Carly, please take them back!"

She steps away, "I…I can't, Samantha, you know that. The only way for you to lose the marks are for me to die…will you kill me, Sam? Will you kill me to be free of me?"

I could hear the sadness in her voice and yeah…it hurt me. I knew the answer to her question even without her sadness, "No…I could not kill you, Carly. You know that. Not over this. Other things, maybe, but not this."

She smiles again and walks back to me and puts her arms around me again, "I love you, Samantha, I love you so much…of that I do not lie. I brought you here to spend time with you. I don't have much time left, Sam, she grows stronger by the day and soon she will destroy my mind and take over my body. I…I can't fight her, baby, no one can. She is too strong. Please, Sam, please give me just the last few precious moments I have left with you."

"And…and what happens to me, Carly. With the marks…when she takes over your body what happens to me? Will she control me then?"

"No. You will be free of me then. She will only own my body not my mind." Carly starts leading me to the large canopy bed that I had not noticed until now. "See…you get what you want."

I frown at her words…they did kind of hurt. While I never wanted the vampire marks she gave me, I had to admit to myself I never wanted to be free of her…I loved her to much. "No sex, Carly, I mean that! I want to talk not have sex. I…we need to talk about trying to help you and…and I am still pissed at you!"

She smiles at me once again and I did not trust that smile but I let her lead me to the bed anyway and lay me down in it. She is suddenly naked as well and I can't help but enjoy her body. God is she so beautiful! I will never get over how lovely she truly is. Her pale skin, her red crimson lips that don't need anything to enhance their color, her eyes…damn I love her black eyes. And her body…the perfect body to me. So perfectly shaped and I even think her small breasts are the perfect size and tipped with such dark brown nipples that are the perfect shade for her. God I love this girl so much…maybe too much. She seductively gets in bed with me and pulls the silk sheets up to cover us both and then she presses that wonderful body to mine and again wraps her arms around me and draws me close.

"I…I…I mean it, Carly. No…no sex." I manage to get out as she starts kissing my neck.

"Of course, my love, I am just kissing someone I have missed so much…someone I love so dearly."

"Well…ummm…ohhhh God…not there…stop…please stop, Carly." I manage to moan and stay strong, but for how long is the million dollar question.

Carly starts laying gently kisses on my checks, "Henry came to me and told me there was a contract on your life?" I tell her hoping to change her mood before she changed mine.

"Yes they would go to him…he is the best after all." She says as she continues to kiss me.

"Who…who would go to him? Who would want you dead, Carly?"

She pulls back and giggles. I always thought seeing her…a two thousand year old vampire…giggle was just so…well sexy. She was the only vampire I had ever met that giggled. "The council, silly girl, they or at least one member would want me destroyed." She leans in and brushes my lips with hers.

"Why, Carly, why would they want you dead? I thought you and them made peace after Cassandra was killed." Oh God help me but I was slipping…I wanted her so bad right now.

"Oh, Sam, I never had peace with them. They hate that they cannot control me or I will not listen to their silly rules. But they want me dead so she will not get my body. They don't want her to wake either and if they destroy me then she will weaken again since she had put so much of her power in controlling me and taking over my body. They think if I am destroyed it will take her hundreds of years to find another one and try to wake again." She again starts kissing my face.

"But…but why don't they just kill her?" I am really losing the fight now as I can feel the wetness between my legs now.

"Oh they are not powerful enough to kill her, Samantha. Even with their combined strength she would crush them and they know it." She moves her lips to my neck once again and started kissing and sucking…no fangs this time; just her wonderful lips.

"But why don't they just kill you? Why contract a hit on you?" I ask still staying strong but I know I am weakening as she keeps kissing my neck.

Carly giggles again as she kisses me, "Oh, Samantha, you may not believe this but I am powerful. I could challenge one…maybe two…of the weaker council members and win. Plus I sleep with the Mother of all Darkness, Sam. They come after me and she will destroy them. To them the Reaper is expendable and if he dies in the process…they would be even happier."

"How…how can you be so caviler about this, Carly? You seem so calm." God I was about ready to jump her now…she was driving me crazy with desire.

"Why should I not be, dear Sam? I am dead, baby. I cannot escape her. She is too powerful and she will have me and there is nothing I can do. All I want is to spend my last days making love to you even if it is just in my dream. I love you, Samantha…I love you so much." Carly said nonchalantly as she still kissed me. Me? I was not nonchalant and I sure as hell was not going to give up like she seemed to be doing.

"How can you just quit, Carly? You…you never acted like this before? You don't give up…I know you."

Carly finally pulled back from me and as much as I hated that she did since I was enjoying her attention I was glad…we needed to talk and not have sex. "Sam, I cannot stop her…no one can stop her. She has me, baby, and I cannot get free. She will get what she wants so please…please let me have this one thing from you. Please let me enjoy you and our love for just a while longer. You said you know me then you know I don't beg…but right now I am begging…I am pleading…please let me have your love, Samantha, please let me love you while I still have time before she strips my mind away." I saw the tears in her eyes and I knew then she was not giving up…she was accepting her fate. Carly knew she could not win this fight and from what I saw of the Mother of All Darkness in five minutes I knew I could not beat her either.

"What…what if I came with Henry and we tried to kill her and set you free?" I may know I couldn't beat her but I was at least damn sure going to try.

Carly's eyes grew wide and she gripped my shoulders tight…so tight it hurt and I knew they would bruise. "No! Don't you even think it, Sam! She is to strong and she will kill you or worse…she will turn you and she will make you serve her for all eternity and she controls through fear and hate. Cassandra was a fairy princess compared to her, Sam. She hates love…she despises it. She taunts me and tortures me just because I love you. Promise me, Sam! Promise me you will not come looking for her! Make me that promise!" Carly begged again as tears came down her face.

"S…she already said she was going to come for me, Carly. She said she would turn me. I can't wait around and let that happen. You know me…I am not good at waiting."

Carly wiped her eyes, "But…but there is a chance she will forget you when she fully awakes…please, Sam, please don't come for her. I…I love you to much too even think that she will be using my body to torment you…please promise me!"

"Carly, I…I can't just let it go. I…I love you and…and I can't just leave you."

She stops crying and even smiles at me and then wraps her arms once again around me and pulls me close to her with one hand on my back and the other caressing my butt. "So you still love me…even after what I did?"

Fuck! Why did I tell her that? Yes I still love her…I always have but I wanted her to think I didn't after what she did. "Y…yes…I do, Carly, and that is why I need to help you."

She starts those damn little kisses again that are driving me wild and her hand that was on my butt starts tracing its fingers on my stomach. I had to shiver…it felt so good. "Then after we will talk, Sam. I need to ask you something…but after."

"After what?" He hand now goes lower and I spread my thighs…I couldn't help it.

"After we make love, silly Samantha." She tells me with a grin and her finger slips in the wetness between my thighs.

"Ohhhh….ok…ok…you…you win." I moaned as her finger started doing little circle motions inside me. Yeah she had me…she always knew what I liked so I kiss her deep and passionate on the mouth. Her lips part and my tongue slips into her mouth as hers go into mine. I then use my body and force my way on top of her as my right hand reached under her and cups her butt and my left starts toying with her nipple. I figured if I was going to give in…which I did…it would at least be on my terms.

She just looks up me and smiles as I start to kiss down her neck, breasts, and stomach as I enjoy her whimpers of pleasure. When my hand spreads her legs and I place kisses on her thighs she stops me and I look up at her.

"Sam…please…I…I don't have much time before she finds me again. Can…can we do it at the same time…you know what I mean." She asks me. She always did like me to take control of her during sex and yeah I knew what she meant and I loved it that way.

"So who gets to be on top?" I tease her.

Carly giggles, "Who is always on top?" I took my cue and moved myself so my face head was between her legs and then lowered my self onto her lips. We both gasp at the same time as our tongues start that wonderful exploring of each other's private area. Carly was moaning and gasping as her tongue worked it miracle on me and I was moaning as well. I soon felt her finger on my clit and then gasped in surprise and pleasure as her tongue worked its way into my ass. She always did know what I liked.

"Samaaaantha….please…more…I…I am going to coooome." Carly screamed out after a while and I had to admit as much as I loved to hear her scream out like that I was missing her tongue as her fingers continued to work me. I felt her tense under me and then her legs started shaking as her orgasm hit her. Her fingers dug into my butt cheeks as she came. "AHHHH….FUUUUUCK!" She yelled out as her body buckled under mine and I kept on with my pleasurable torment of her clit and placed three fingers inside her. After she came and finally relaxed she started fingering me again and once more I felt her tongue in my ass. I was almost there as I just gently kissed her private area and enjoyed the taste and smell.

"Carrrly! Please…more…don't stop!" I hear someone scream and making this moaning sounds and then realize it was me. I feel myself tense up as her fingers go faster and her tongue goes deeper and then that wonderful release as I screamed out. After I finally relaxed I moved myself on my back and let Carly snuggle with me as she laid her head on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her.

"God…I missed that?" Carly said with a smile.

"What? Me or the orgasm?" I grinned at her.

"Ohhh….you are so mean! Both actually…the orgasm but more so who gave it to me!" Carly says and then lifts up and kisses me. "Samantha, I…I need you to promise me something?"

"What, Carly." Yeah I loved her but I am practical. If she wanted me to promise her something then I was a little leery.

"Find me…please…and…and kill me, Samantha. I…I need you to kill me before she destroys my mind…or…or make Henry take the contract on me. Leave her alone but kill me. Please do this for me, Sam." Carl said and once more had tears in her eyes.

I turn my head to look away from her, "I…I can't, Carly. I can't do that."

Carly hugs me tighter, "I have to go soon, baby, before she comes to me. I can only shield her for a little while longer…but I need you to promise me, Sam. Promise me you will find me and you will kill me. Don't let her take my body…please, darling. She is to strong to fight and soon she will have what she wants. Please, Sam…I…I lied to you. She will not forget you. She has shown me what she is going to do to you while she has my body, Samantha, and…I…I can't stand it! She tortures me with dreams showing me what she will do to you…please, baby…please kill me so she can't get you."

"NO! I…I will find you and…and I will kill her before she can take control over you, Carly. I will not let her win." By now I am crying at Carly's words. She was asking me to do something that I could never do. Yeah I thought about it…thought about if I could kill her if I had to and the answer was always yes, but now…now I knew that was a lie. I could never kill her regardless of what she did. I loved her to damn much!

"No, Sam, do not hunt her…never hunt her. Her you cannot kill. But me…me you can and you must. Promise me, darling. If you really truly love me…the kill me! Cut out my heart, chop off my head, and burn my body to ash…please…I…I am begging you, Sam. I love you…damn I love you so much…more than I have ever loved before. Please…please do this." Carly begged.

"Who is she, Carly? Who is the Mother of All Darkness that she has you so afraid?"

Carly kisses me again and then hugs me tight once more. "I…I have to go, baby. I have to let you out of my dream now…she…she is Lilith…the Dark Mother. The first of our kind and the mother of us all and she wakes, Sam…she wakes to do terrible things."

The room starts to fade on me and change…change back into my own room. "No…don't go…please don't go, Carly! Please stay with me…please!" I give a pleading cry as I see her fade as well.

"Promise me, Samantha…promise to kill me. I…I love you, dear Sam…I…" And she fades and leaves me now in my own bed in my own room crying.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been two days since my "dream" with Carly and I still did not know what to do…which was so unlike me. I tried calling Henry several times but he never called me back and that worried me as well. Was he in trouble? Would I kill Carly? Should I hunt the Mother of All Darkness…Lilith the mother of all vampires? These questions haunted me as I did my job as necromancy. I raised five bodies over the past two days and did three in one night…a person record. But it left me exhausted and that was where I am at right now. Eleven o'clock at night, tired, pissed, and exhausted. And to top it all off the murder investigation seemed to stall. There were no more leads and thank God no more bodies. I was just about to get in the shower and wash the goat blood from my body, yeah had to use a goat tonight and a shame to since she was a cute little thing, when my cell phone started ringing. I thought about ignoring it but then thought it may be Henry so I rush naked back into my room and grab my phone.

"About fucking time!" I answer. I did not recognize the number off the caller ID so I assumed it was Henry. He never used the same phone more than twice.

"Well if I knew I was that important to you I would have called sooner." Female voice said but it was said almost with a hint of anger. It was Mei.

I was surprised she was calling after the last time I saw her I really did not expect to see her again. I was glad she did call. "Sorry, Mei…I was expecting someone else. So umm…I really did not think you would be calling me."

I heard her give a sarcastic chuckle. "Well trust me I did not want to but I have been summoned and was told to bring you."

I sighed, "Look I don't have time for Dante's games nor do I want to play them. Tell him thanks but no thanks."

"It isn't Dante, Sam, it's Walter…my Nimir-Raj…he…he wants to talk to you and told me I had to bring you. If…if you don't come well…I…I will be the one to pay for it."

God I hated lycanthropes when they played this power game! They could be as bad as vampires sometimes. "But I thought you were kicked out of the pard? That they did not want anything to do with you?"

"Thanks a lot, Sam. I could always count on you to make me feel better. No they did not kick me out…they just gave up their protection of me and I can't hunt with them anymore but I still can go among them…which I don't because it will most likely get me killed. Look, Sam, I don't like this either, ok. I am still pissed at you for thinking I would eat you and you threatening to kill me but you have to come. Dante said he won't interfere in matters between me and my Nimir-Raj so if I don't show they will hunt me…and Sam…I don't want them to come after me." She sounded afraid and I did not blame her. I did not want the seventy odd wereleopards hunting me either.

"Ok…when and where." I said.

"Tonight…midnight at the Cat's Paw." She said.

I look at the clock…great! I had only a few minutes to get dressed and go. "Why is it that vampires and shapeshifters always do things at the last minute and always at midnight?" I muttered to her and that at least got a giggle out of her.

"So…so you are going?" She said hesitantly.

"Damn, Mei, of course I am going! Do you think I would let them hurt you?"

"Yeah…sorry…I guess killing me is your job huh?" She said in her sarcastic voice and I decided to ignore the comment. I guess I did deserve it. "Sam, I'm in front of your apartment so just come on down when you are ready…let's not keep the king waiting."

She hung up and I got dressed in a pair of black jeans, a vintage AC/DC concert shirt and black Converse high tops. I then checked my Browning 9mm Practical and strapped on the shoulder holster, placed my knives on my wrists in the sheath and then tucked my 9mm Firestar in its holster behind my back.

I got along with Walter…the wereleopards Nimir-Raj…their king. Hell he even liked me he said since I did so much for the last three wereleopards when the werewolves almost wiped them out years ago…Mei was one of the last three. But Walter and his wife…the pards Nimir-Ra…moved in and they grew strong again. They were up to a little over seventy now in their pard. No they did not go around infecting people…just other wereleopards started moving in and soon they grew and while not as strong as the wolves who number over two hundred or the rats who were close to two hundred they were a strong force. The third strongest lycanthrope community in the city and Walter was a good leader and honest. So if I got along with him then why was I going to this meting armed like I was? Because I did not like the way he told Mei she had to bring me or she gets hurt. He may be a good guy but he is still a lycanthrope and they play by different rules.

Lycanthropes can trace their roots back to ancient times and they are very aware and respectful of where they came from even in their titles and words. Werewolves trace their roots back to the ancient Norsemen or Vikings and were said to be a tribe of warriors who would transform into wolf form on the field of battle to slaughter their enemies. Their words even come from Norse culture; Ulfric or king, lupa or queen, Fenrir is the name given to the one to challenge the Ulfric for his kingship and is named after the Great Wolf in Norse Myth who will kill Odin, Freki the name given to the second in command of the clan named for Odin's pet wolves, and Bolverk who was the enforcer of the clan…the doer of evil deeds…named after Odin's body guard. The leopards trace their clan back to India or Arabic culture and the weretigers trace their culture back to ancient China. But whatever shapeshifter community you were a member of they all had one thing in common. They ruled by force and not politics. They were very Darwinism. Only the strong survive.

To advance in their clans you had to fight and win. It was not always a fight to the death that was between the two combatants. But to lead you had to kill the previous leader and his or her family even if the family members were human and while Walter may have just stepped into his role of Nimir-Raj since there was no leopard strong enough to fight him he did have to defend his leadership and he killed when challenged. I knew he was powerful…very powerful and there was no way in hell I was going into his camp not armed so that was why the guns and knives. There was no way I could stand toe to toe with a man who could toss aside a small truck even in human form.

Mei drove us to the Cat's Paw which was across town in the University District of the city. The Cat's Paw as an upscale expensive martini bar, yeah Walter had style I'll give him that, that used to be an abandoned office building. He purchased the building and the others around it and turned them into a very lucrative business of bars and night clubs. Unlike Dante's clubs, Walters were not about sex. They were classy and upscale. Once we reach the bar Mei smiles at the bartender.

He was large…very large…and dressed in very stylish black slacks and a red silk shirt but he would look more at home and comfortable in a biker jacket and jeans and tee shirt. His long black hair hug down past his shoulders and it looked as if he had not shaved in days. The man was very intimidating for a human but more so because of what he was…what I knew he was as his energy flowed over me. It did it on purpose…I knew that as he grinned at me.

"Hello, Ronald, Walter sent for us." She said.

Ronald, who I could tell by the energy he gave off, was a shapeshifter and a strong one at that. He did not return Mei's smile but glared at her instead and I saw Mei take a step back and give a slight whimper. "Yeah he said to go on back after I frisk her," he nodded at me, "but I don't know why you got invited, coffin bait. You aren't really welcome here anymore. Walter may allow it but the rest of the pard don't so if I was you I would be leaving now." I looked over at Mei and I swear I thought she was going to cry.

I really never knew how hard she had it. I mean yeah I knew they did not like her since she started donating her blood to the vampires and slept with them and all…but up until know I never knew how bad it really hurt her to be ostracized by her pard. I did not like him calling her coffin bait…a slang term used for someone who has sex with vampires. Maybe it was because I was coffin bait as well to Carly but whatever it was I hated the term.

"H…he sent for me, Ronald." Mei said softly in a weak hurt voice.

"Yeah he did but that does not mean we have to like it." The man said harshly and stared Mei down and she took another step back.

"You…you used to protect me, Ronald, remember? You…you used to be my friend." She sounded liked she was begging now.

"Yeah that was before you started fucking vampires and letting them feed off of you and now you are nothing but shit to me, coffin bait!" The man scorned Mei.

I had enough by now. Mei was my friend…my good friend and one time lover and she was on my list and I was not going to let some ass talk to her like that. "Look here, asshole, your Nimir-Raj sent for her and if you have a problem with her being here take it up with him! But I swear if you ever talk to her like that again I will come back in here and not as Sam Puckett with an invitation but as the Executioner and I will blow your fucking cat ass away!" I flash him my gun under my coat.

He growled at me and Mei grabbed my left arm to pull me back but I was not going to back down. Would I kill him? Well yeah if he made a move to me I would. Self defense and all that and no jury would convict me for killing a shapeshifter in self defense. I would have plenty of witness in the bar…human ones…who would see he made the first move.

"Ronald, enough! Both of them were invited by our Nimir-Raj so they are welcome!" A female voice sounded behind us.

I step back not taking my eyes off of Ronald and then turn to see a pretty girl with short blonde hair and a number of piercing on her face. She was dressed in a very short black leather mini and red top that clung so tight you could tell she was braless. She gave off the energy of a shapeshifter that I could tell, but not what flavor. I assumed leopard since she said "our Nimir-Raj" and she has power this one did…I could tell that as well.

Ronald glared and me but back down as he looked at the girl. "You must be Samantha Puckett, the Executioner." She said as she looked me over. "Not what I expected…but no matter. Please hand Ronald your gun and come with me. You may keep the knives."

I pull my pistol and place it on the bar, yeah I hated to give it up but this was not my party and I was on their tuff and if the shit hit the fan I may kill one or two of them but that was all…they would get me. Plus while I did not like the way Walter "summoned" me he always played fair with me…and I did have my back up which I was not going to give up and they apparently did not know I had. The girl nodded after I placed my gun on the bar and Ronald took it and placed it under the bar and she motioned me to follow her. I did…we did. Mei trailed behind me and I could feel the fear coming from her. You didn't need any supernatural ability to sense it….anyone could. She was scared…real scared and that worried me and made me sad. I had no idea things were this bad for her.

I follow the girl through the back door labeled "Employees Only" and we walked down a long corridor and then through another door. She never introduced herself. The three of us walk into a room…a large room…that looked more like a meeting hall. The lights were dim but I could make out my surroundings and saw people standing in groups. There were about fifteen people in the room…people yeah right! I felt it hard to breath as their energy hit me and even had to stop to catch my breath. They were lycanthropes…all of them. I looked around and saw them standing in separate groups like high school kids in their on clicks. I saw one face that surprised me to be there. Marcus.

Marcus was a lycanthrope but not a wereleopard…he was a wererat, the king of the wererats to be more precise. I wondered what his was doing there as he nodded to me. I nodded back as I followed the girl to the other side of the large room. I got along well with Marcus and he was a good guy, but I was still curious as to what he was doing here. Not that the rats had any problems with the cats…this was not some Tom and Jerry cartoon. But normally groups of lycanthropes did not intermingle much. They may have "friends" among the other groups like Mei I knew was friends with Jason…a werewolf…but their leaders did not socialize much with one another. And I knew Marcus would not be here to "bow" down to the leopard king.

Marcus and his rats were the second highest in numbers of the shapeshifters in Seattle and only the wolves numbered more than he did but even they would not fuck with him or his Rodre. Marcus ran his group like a military camp and he even recruited ex cops, ex military, and ex bad asses for his clan. They were not to be messed with and he even hired some of his people out as bodyguards to the lesser lycanthrope groups. So yeah his presence here confused me.

"Welcome, Sam…it is good to see you again." The strong male voice broke me out of my thoughts. The voice gave off a slight accent…Haitian. I look up and gave Walter a tight smile. He stood about six three and must have weighed about two twenty and was fit…very fit…and you could even see his muscles under the plain tight black tee shirt he wore. His skin was a dark black that seemed to almost glow in the dim light and he was handsome…very handsome. I knew Walter was from Haiti and I also knew Walter was not his real name. What was his real name? I did not know and I did not ask.

"Cut the politeness, Walter, why am I here and why the fuck did you threaten Mei?" I said with anger in my voice. I was tired and pissed and yeah…scared.

Walter grinned and let his energy flow out of him. It was nothing you could see and any "normal" human would not have felt it but I was not "normal" and I did. I actually staggered back when his energy hit me. I felt my skin tingle like small shocks of electricity shocking my skin. God he was strong! I heard the chuckles from the groups and look around and see them laughing at the human girl. All of them but Mei and Marcus…Marcus did not look amused and neither did his rats.

"Walter, stop it! She is our guest! And did you threaten Mei?" A strong female voice said from the corner as the lady walked to Walter. I knew her…I had met her and she too had a Haitian accent but hers was stronger. She wore a long white dress that was belted with a simple white clothe belt and her long black hair hung down straight almost to her butt. She was tall…almost as tall as Walter and I knew she stood at least six feet and she was beautiful. Her black skin glowed and her fine chilled features looked perfect and her eyes…there were no the dark eyes common to her race but blue…crystal blue eyes that added to her attractiveness. I blushed as she walked by me and could tell under her almost see through linen white dress she was not wearing any undergarments. She caught me looking and grinned at me almost flirtatiously as she made her way to the center of the room and her eyes focuses on Mei.

"Mei," she purred, "it is good to see you again dear. You have been missed." She said in a kind voice and held out her right hand.

Mei dropped to her knees and I saw her crawl to this lady…her Nimir-Ra. Anaya was the queen of the wereleopards and wife to Walter and I knew she also was powerful. Being the wife of the clan's leader did not automatically give you the right to be their queen. In some clans the queen is not the king's wife…such as the wererats. Marcus's wife is human and his queen is a wererat. Don't ask me about how they share the beds…I don't know and I don't want to know. But like being a king in their society the queen has to fight her way to the top as well and she can be challenged and the fights are to the death.

I watched as Mei crawled to her catlike and it always amazed me that even in their human form lycanthropes could move with muscles I would never have. Mei took Anaya's hand in hers and started licking it and made purring sounds from her throat as she licked and curled her body feline like around her queen's legs. I normally would have thought this gesture well…debasing…but this was their way. Mei was showing her queen respect and being submissive to her. Anaya dropped to her knees as Mei exposed the right side of her neck and pulled her long hair back. Her queen nuzzled her neck and then Mei gave a gasp and moan of pleasure as Anaya bit her. It was not sexual, it was not to draw blood like a vampire, but it was a show of dominance over a weaker of their species. Anaya pulled back and wrapped her arms around Mei who responded in kind.

"Enough wife!" I heard Walter shout. "She no longer has our protection and you will not treat her as one of us!"

Mei back away still on her hands and knees and I saw tears in her eyes. Anaya stood and turned to face her husband. "And that was not my choice! I did not agree to it!" She yelled back.

"Remember your place, woman! She was exiled because she gave herself to them! She not only fucks them but she allows them to take her blood! She is no longer pard!" Walter stood as she shouted.

"She needs us, Walter. She needs her family. Can't you see that! She has nobody and she needs us! She is one of us and we cannot abandon her. Hasn't the poor girl been punished enough?" Walter's wife said but she was not longer yelling in anger she was almost pleading with the man.

Mei made her way back to me and knelt at my feet and she was sobbing now as she placed her hands over her face. I lowered my mental shields that I had put up to prevent the power in the room from over powering me and I felt her and I wanted to cry. I felt Mei's heartbreak and her pain. Her sense of loss and need to belong washed over me and it broke my heart. She never told me...oh I knew what happened to her and she was saddened but not this. Not this awful pain she was suffering since her exile from her people…her family…the only family she had left. She was hurting terribly and she never told me. I cared for her a great deal and to see…no feel her pain was awful and I felt my eyes grow watery as I bent down and pulled her hands from her face.

"Mei, why…why didn't you tell me…I…I did not know that it hurt you so much…why didn't you…" I said as I tried to get her to look at me but she just turned her face.

"Stop it! Just stop it, Sam…please…please leave me alone!" Mei cried and moved a little away from me.

I wiped my eyes and stood up and glared at Walter. "Wow some fucking leader you are! Can't you see she is in pain? Can't you see what you are doing to her?" I scream.

"This is none of your concern, human! I rule here not you and not my wife! This matter is ended! I will not discuss pard matters in the presence of outsiders!" He yelled back and sat back in his chair. I knew he did not mean just me when he said outsiders. I knew he meant the other non-leopard shapeshifters. Anaya gave me a sad smile and walked to her husband and say down in the chair next to him and took his hand.

I glance back at Mei and then back at Walter. "I am so fucking out of here. Come on, Mei, we are leaving!" I shout and turn to walk away.

"Sam, please wait. We need your help. Not just Walter…but all of us." I turn and see Marcus walked to me and sigh. It was rare…well unheard of to be exact…for a lycanthrope to ask a human for help…especially if that human had a reputation of gunning down monsters like I did. Plus I liked Marcus…I really did. He was a good guy.

"Ok…what do you need? I will listen but I won't promise anything." I said. I was talking to the wererat king. I was done with Walter. I used to like him but now I hated the bastard for what he did to Mei.

"Some of us are missing…from each clan and we know you work for the police and thought you could help us." Walter said and I turn to him.

"Why not go to the police yourself? File a missing persons report and al that. Let them do their job." I glared at him still not liking him.

"We…I have been…but they don't care! What is another lost or dead shapeshifter to them?" A female voice pleaded and I turned and saw a lone woman standing by herself. I knew her…met her once. Christine as her husband were the only two weretigers in the city. "My husband has been missing for six days and they have done nothing to help. Please, Ms. Puckett, please help find my husband."

She was right. The police would not help. They would take the report and file it away and never look into it. Sure they may be legal and sure they may be upstanding citizens…well most were…but they were still monsters and they would get no help from the police. But I could…I knew police that would care and give a damn. The Ghost squad would help. It was not their job to solve missing persons but Stan could light a fire under someone's ass and get me information I needed. I take a deep breath.

"Ok…I'll see what I can do but I can't promise anything. I mean…I work with them from time to time but I am not cop and they don't tell me everything."

Christine smiles and walks to me and hugs me. "Thank you, Ms. Puckett. That is all we can ask."

When she let go I look at Walter, "So you have people missing too?"

"Yes…one. Anthony has been missing for five days and the wolves too." He gestures with his hand and points his left. Standing there are three werewolves…I am assuming…two men and a woman. One of the men steps forward and he was almost as tall as Walter and lean. He was wearing black leather biker pants and a black leather vest with no shirt. His long brown hair was in a single pony tail. By the look of his eyes I could tell he had stayed in his animal form longer than he should have because they were not the eyes of a human but the eyes of a wolf.

"I am Jamil, Freki of the Bloodrock clan and we wolves don't need help from a human." He stated proudly. So he was the second in command of the werewolves. That meant he was strong.

"Don't be an idiot, Jamil! Your Ulfric sent you because he agrees with us…we need Sam's help." I heard Marcus say.

Jamil growled and flashed his teeth and they were the teeth of a wolf. Yeah he had stayed in animal form to long and now could not completely shift back. "That does not mean I agree with him! But he is my Ulfric and I obey," He glared at me and grinned like he wanted me for a midnight snack. "I don't like you, Executioner, and I don't like humans but my Ulfric gave me orders and I obey but I warn you…you cross us and I will kill you myself." He then looked at Mei and smiled…it was a hungry smile but not like the hunger he had for me. This smile was filled with lust.

"Since she is no longer pard," he pointed at Mei, "and has no protector than I claim her. She is mine!" I looked at Mei and saw her head snap up and look at Jamil and she whimpered.

"She had protectors…Dante protects her." I said as I step closer to Mei.

Jamil laughed, "The vampires? Where are they? Why is one not here to protect her then? No, human, I know they fuck her and they feed on her and give her some protection but they deny her protection from any lycanthrope clan. Dante is weak and he knows not to make us angry. She is mine to do with as I wish and then I will pass her to my clan for them to use when I am done with her."

I look at the other two werewolves and the female…cute, about five seven, with red hair, dressed in biker wear like Jamil, was grinning but the other werewolf male as looking at his feet nervously. I could tell he did not like what Jamil was doing but was not strong enough to stop it. I then look at Walter and he just stared at Jamil with no expression on his face. Anaya was sitting upright and gripping her husbands hand tighter and looked at Mei with pity. She was strong but not strong enough to challenge Jamil. The only two in the room that were strong enough was Walter and…Marcus. I turn to Marcus as I heard Mei sniffle and whimper again.

"Well…don't just stand there…fucking do something." I tell him.

He gives me an apologetic look, "She is not mine and not mine to protect. I am sorry, Sam."

"Well just fucking great!" I scream and turn to Walter. "And you…you are just going to sit there and let this asshole take her?"

Walter looks over at his people…about eight wereleopards, "Who of my people will protect her and challenge Jamil?" He asks. None offer any help. They were afraid of the werewolf but also felt Mei was no longer one of them. Mei looked at her king with pleading eyes and let out another whimper as she started to crawl to Jamil and to her fate.

"Oh hell fucking no!" I yell and step in front of her. "She is not going with you!"

Jamil laughs, "Are you going to protect her, girl?"

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah…she has always had my protection."

"Sam, no…don't! He'll kill you…please don't do this. I…I will go with him." Mei said as she grabbed my legs.

I look down at her and smile, "I can't do that, Mei…and you know that."

She gives me a sad smile and then licks my left hand to show her submissiveness to me. "I…I love you, Sam…I always have." She whispered. I smile at her. Did I love her? Yeah I did…not like I loved Carly but yeah I did love Mei.

"So you challenge me for her, girl?" I heard Jamil say and I looked at Marcus.

"What are the rules, Marcus?" I ask him.

He gives me a look of pity like I just signed my death warrant…which I think I just may have but I could not let this man just take Mei and do nothing. I could never live with myself if I did. "As the challenger you can have the choice of weapons and how you fight. You can tell him to shift or not to shift and as the person being challenged he chooses if it is either to the death or just first blood."

I nod and look at Jamil as I take off my jacket to show my knives strapped to my left wrist. "I can use any weapon on me and you can't shift…I don't want to get infected if you get lucky and get close enough to draw blood."

Jamil smiles as he sees my empty holster, "Agreed…you can use your silly knives, human. But we fight to the death."

I nod, "Agreed."

He laughs, "Oh I am going to enjoy this. I get to kill the Executioner…this is going to be very…" His words were interrupted by the sound of two gunshots and he feel back with two holes in his chest where his heart used to be.

I stood there holding my Firestar in a two handed grip. As he was talking I pulled it and shot him twice in the chest. The room was silent as the female werewolf knelt down to Jamil and ran her fingers through the puddle of blood that started to form under his body. She then looked at me after she licked her fingers clean.

"You…you killed him, bitch!" She yelled at me. "You cheated! I will kill you for this!" She stood up and I saw her hands which she shifted into wolf form. They were no longer the hands of a human girl but large paws of a wolf. To partially shift like this meant she was powerful.

"No, Angel! She did not cheat! Jamil agreed to the choice of weapons and told her she would use what weapons she had on her! It is over! Mei belongs to her now!" I heard Anaya yell. I kept my gun on the female werewolf.

"But he did not know she had another gun! Your people were supposed to take them away!" The werewolf Angel yelled at her.

"Then he was foolish! It is over! If you insist on this matter I will fight you!" Anaya said and walked over to Mei and me. I saw Angel bow her head and back down. She may have been strong but she was not that strong.

Anaya carefully and gently pushed my right hand down to lower my gun and stood close to me and smiled, "Go now, Sam, no one with bother you. Jamil was a brute and even his Ulfric did not like him. And thank you…thank you for protecting her." She reached down and stroked Mei's hair. "I am sorry, Mei. I cannot go against the orders of our Nimir-Raj and I am so sorry." She had tears in her eyes as she looked at Mei.

Mei looked up and gave her queen a weak smile and nodded.

We left, I collected my gun from Ronald, and I drove Mei's car back to my apartment. She was still crying and was in no condition to drive. She gave me a look when I pulled into the parking garage and not just stopping in front of the building so I could go inside.

"What? You expect me to sit in my apartment alone and wait until half the werewolves in the city come for me after what I did." I grin at her, "Hell no, girl…if I go down you are going with me." I teased and she managed a smile at that.

"No, Sam, they won't come after you. It was a fair fight and also they will be respect you now. You showed your dominance over them by killing their second in command…I even suspect some will be afraid of you as well."

I smile ad I look at her, "And you…are you afraid of me, Mei?"

She shrugs, "I don't like killing, Sam. Yes I am a lycanthrope but I have never and will never kill a human and when I do kill an animal it is because I have to feed. I…yes you scare me sometimes." She reaches up and caresses my cheek, "I sometimes wish for that sweet seventeen year old girl I first met to be back again, Samantha, I miss her."

I chuckle, "I was never sweet, Mei, I was always a trouble maker."

She grins and it was a sad grin, "Maybe…but you were not always a killer." She leans in and kisses my lips gently and pulls back. "Thank you, Sam, for what you did for me. I…I should go home now."

"Where, Mei? Where is home for you? Dante's daytime resting place? Just where is that? Brianna's coffin? Is that home?"

Mei pulls back, "That was mean, Sam. First Dante would kill me if I ever gave away his daytime resting place to anyone…especially the fucking Executioner! And second what I have and do with Brianna is none of you damn business!"

I let out a long sigh, "Sorry, Mei, I was out of line. You are right it is not my business. But I wish you would stay with me tonight."

She looks at me, "I…I can't, Sam, please see that. I can't stay with you. Do you know how hard it is for me to be in your apartment and not share your bed? Do you know how much I love you? I…I just can't…please."

I pull her close and start kissing her lips. She struggles for a moment and then soon falls into my arms as she allows my tongue to enter her mouth. We kiss passionately for a moment and then my mouth moves to her neck and I kiss and bit it gently as she presses her self closer to me and lets out moans of pleasure.

"Ohhh…Sam…please…please love me if just for tonight…please…I…I need you. I…I need someone…something to belong to…please." She gasps out and I feel her emotions over me. She need and desire to belong since her pard…her family rejected her and I was saddened once again and I stop kissing her and pull back but she does not let me. She starts kissing my neck.

"Please, Sam…please don't reject me…even if it is just for one night…please…I need this…please understand how much I need this." She whimpered as she kissed my neck. I felt it…I felt her need for this and I accepted it as I pulled her face up and kissed her again and my hand slipped under her black leather skirt and started caressing her inner thighs. Mei moaned in pleasure at the sensation and pulled back a little and giggled.

"Umm…I don't mind having sex in the car, Samantha, but I much prefer the bed." She ginned as my fingers continued to tease her thighs.

I chuckle, "Yeah so do I." I let her go and we get out and walk hand in hand to my apartment and pausing every now and then for some more kissing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Just an update in the story. I have nit left it or abandoned it at all. I am just having trouble with the next chapter that I have re-written like 5 times already and still can't get it right! I am working on it I swear!**

**Thank you for your patients and the positive reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up with a start and felt Mei's body wrapped around mine. I smile as I see her lying next to me naked and her arms around my chest and her right leg wrapped around me. God she was beautiful, I thought as I gently pry her off me trying not to wake her. She lets out a small groan and roles over but did not wake. I got off the bed and felt restless…like I couldn't sleep and glanced at the clock and saw it was a little after three in the morning. I smile at Mei again as I pull the blankets over her naked body and then suddenly frown as I thought of what we did. I cared for her and loved her in my own way and I knew she loved me, but I could never love her like I loved Carly.

"Damn Carly…what am I going to tell her? Do I tell her?" I said aloud as guilt got to me over what I did and put a robe over my naked body.

"Yes, what are you going to tell Carly?" I heard a voice say and my head snaps up and I see her walking to me. Carly was dressed in skinny black jeans and a red sweater. Very casual and I liked it. I always preferred the casual Carly over the dressed up Carly. She loved to dress up and always look so…untouchable. I guess that was why I liked her dressed casual…it made her more attainable to me.

"Fuck me." I groan aloud as she walked to the bed.

"Why, Samantha, I do believe you already had that tonight or did your pet cat not leave you satisfied?" She said sarcastically.

"Why did you bring me in your dream again, Carly, and why did you bring Mei?" I asked.

Carly laughed, "My dream? Oh no, my dear, this is your dream."

"Then why are you here then if this is my dream?"

"Because as you can enter mine I can enter yours…I told you that we could do that with the marks." She stopped at the foot of my bed and was staring at Mei in a way I did not like. She looked like a tiger about to pounce on its prey.

"Then leave…I don't want you here right now." I said in a defensive manner. Yeah I know getting angry at her for something I did. That was me…I always had to direct my anger at someone other than myself.

She looked at me and smiled and it was not a pleasant smile. "Make me…if you can. But I don't think you can, Samantha. You do not know how." She then looked at Mei again.

"You know, Samantha, I have never liked her. I have always been jealous of her and I have never been jealous of anyone before." She walks around the bed and pulls the blanket off Mei. Mei lets out a small moaning of "Sam" and Carly laughs. "She even calls your name as she sleeps…how endearing." She leans down and reaches to Mei.

"Stop it, Carly! Leave her alone!" I shout.

Carly looks at me and smiles again. "Make me, Sa-man-tha." She pronounces the syllables in my name harshly. She then looks at Mei and runs her hand down Mei's naked back. "She is very lovely isn't she, Samantha? So pretty." Carly traces her hand up the other girls back now.

"Leave her alone…don't wake her. If you have a problem with what I did talk to me…I was the one who invited her up to my bed, Carly."

Carly's head snaps up and her smile is gone. "She will not wake. I will not let her wake. So tell me, Samantha, is she better than me? Is that why you have her in you bed? She has always replaced me when I was not here. Don't think I don't know that. What is it about your pet that appeals to you, Samantha?" She was taunting me now.

"Stop it, Carly! I never hid her from you…I never lied to you about her and I. I…I care for her and like you said you were not here! How many times did I wait for you? How many months did I wait for a word from you over the years and then one day you would just show up and stay for a few weeks and then leave! We agreed to date other people, Carly!"

Carly laughed, "Why yes we did and you took it to heart didn't you? Well since I know of your lover should I tell you of mine? Should I tell you of all the men and woman I bedded and then ripped their throats out after a night of lust? Maybe I should…you don't hide yours so why should I hide mine? And I fed every night, Samantha! That means every night I was fucked by a different person and when dawn was coming I killed them as I drank their blood!" I knew she was taunting me to make me jealous and to hurt me…and it worked. I knew she did not have a string of lovers, Carly may be a lot of things and done things in her life that were terrible and evil but that was not her; but she put the thought in my mind and I did not like it.

"Why are you here, Carly?" I try to change the subject.

She smiled at me, "Because I wanted to see you again…as much as possible before she claims my body…but I now see you do not care since you have your whore already taking my place." She turned her focus back on Mei and leaned down as if to kiss the sleeping girl's naked back as she started stroking Mei's long silky hair.

"I could kill her, you know. I should have killed her long ago. I almost did…remember, Samantha, I almost drove her mad and she would have killed her self to get those thoughts out of her head but I didn't and maybe that is a mistake I should correct right now." Carly ran her tongue over Mei's back once more and Mei let out a pleasurable moan in her sleep.

"You know I can't let you do that, Carly. I won't let you harm her." I take a step to the vampire and she looks up and me and laughs.

"And what are you going to do about it, Samantha? How are you going to stop me?"

I look over at my bed and see my gun in its shoulder holster hanging from my bed post. I didn't know if I could shoot her and hurt her in my dream but I thought there was a good chance I could since she was talking about killing Mei in the dream. Of course she was a vampire and a strong one at that so maybe it was only something she could do. I had to at least try. I was not going to kill her…I couldn't do that over her threats…but I would shoot her and hurt wound her to get her away from Mei. A silver bullet in a vampire's leg or arm would hurt like hell and would take a while for her to heal. I took a step to my gun and then suddenly my legs would not longer work and I heard Carly laugh at me again.

"Oh how sweet…trying to protect one lover from the other. You always did have a soft spot when it came to protecting her. Of course she is so weak for her kind she needs protecting." I look at Carly and she runs her long finger nail up Mei's back again and then looks at me and her eyes were red.

I knew she was using her power to stop me from moving. I could feel her mind inside of mine and I tried to force it out but she was just too strong. "What is the matter, _Executioner_? Do not take me for weak, Samantha! Just because I allow you to fuck me never think of me as weak! I have more power than any of my kind you have hunted down and _murdered_!" She hissed at me and it sounded like a voice from hell and I felt her power wash over me in a blast of heat like I was suddenly thrown into an oven and my skin felt like needles were sticking into every pour. She was not longer the girl I loved but the vampire I feared.

"I…I hate this part of you, Carly. I love you…but this part of you I hate." I say weakly as I try and catch my breath which was sucked out of my body when she revealed her power.

Carly ignored me and turned back to Mei, "Maybe I should wake her first and fuck her, Samantha. I could make her want me so easily. Maybe I should see why you are so drawn to her." Carly leans down and whispers in Mei's ear and I see Mei smile.

"Umm…Carly." Mei moans out and Carly laughs.

"Oh how delightful…she no longer wants you, Samantha, she now only wants me. But no I will not lower myself and fuck a shapeshifter. But her blood…that is different." Carly grinned and her fangs jutted out and she brought her mouth close to Mei's neck.

"If…if you kill her then you know I'll come after you, Carly." I tell her and try to move but with no use. She had me trapped with her mind and with Carly trying to fight that was a losing battle.

She looks at me and laughs once more, "Oh how humorous! I am already dead, Samantha. And I want you to destroy me before She claims me…you promised me that! But it will not happen. You know that you cannot find me in time…our Dark Mother has me and I am already lost. It is just a matter of time before she has me completely." She looks again at Mei's neck. "So why should I not enjoy my last moments." She lowered her head again and just as her fangs were about to pierce Mei's neck she pulled back and gave her evil smile.

"But no…that would be too easy and I want her to suffer for fucking the girl I love! Maybe torture her mind." Carly looked at me again.

God I hated her right now and I was scared of her. Yes I loved her but right now this Carly I hated. I hated her anger and her jealousy and I hated how she made me afraid.

"You know how I can use her own mind against her don't you, Samantha? I can drive her mad and make her suffer and she will kill herself to stop the madness and the delightful thing is that for her…being a shapeshifter…killing herself will not be easy. Oh it will be delightful to watch…her trying to kill herself." She looked back at Mei again. "Oh and she has so many new painful thoughts in her head. So much new pain to use against her." Carly then feigned shock, "Why, Samantha, did you know your poor pet was suffering so…the poor dear is in so much pain and torment and her heart is breaking." Carly taunted and she ran her hands gently through Mei's long black hair. "The poor cat has no hope…no since of belonging. Oh am I cruel enough to use that pain against her?" Carly looks at me and grins. "Why of course I am."

"Leave her alone, Carly!" I tell her through gritted teeth.

In a blink of an eye Carly is not longer leaning over Mei but now she stands in front of me. God they could move fast. Her hand reaches up and she runs her fingers through my hair and I pull my head back.

"What's the matter, Samantha? You no longer prefer my touch over that of your whore?" She hisses at me.

"She is not a whore! Stop calling her that!"

"Oh but she is, my dear Samantha, I saw into her mind. She whores herself out to my kind…how delightful." Carly teases me. "And she no longer has the protection of her pard." Carly makes a mocking frown, "How sad for her. Did you know that tortures her? That makes her cry? Did she ever tell you how heart broken she is over that?"

"What do you want, Carly? Tell me…tell me how I can help you break free of Lilith." I try to change the subject.

Carly laughs and runs her hand through my hair again and I felt it. I felt he power but not her power. I felt fear. "Break free? Oh Samantha you are a silly girl…but again you are mortal so it is what I expect from you. Why should I want to break free from her? She offers so much, dear child. She offers power like you can never imagine."

Carly touches my face with the back of her hand and caresses it softly but it burns me. I scream and drop to my knees as I feel her power and the fear wash over my skin. God I had never been so afraid as I was right then. No vampire I ever faced made me so afraid. I look up into her eyes but I don't see Carly's chocolate colored eyes; instead I see darkness…such darkness that draws me in like a long lightless tunnel. I can't look away. She caught me in her gaze and I could look away from her. I was stupid! Rule number one was never look them in the eyes…never! She had me and I was sinking into that dark bottomless pit of her eyes and what I saw in there terrified me. I saw only hate and death…no not my death...worse. I saw what I was to become…what she wanted me to be. I scream and try to will my hand to my cross with my mind. But I can't move…all I can do is sink deeper and deeper into those eyes.

"You pathetic holy symbol will not effect me, girl." Carly says like she read my mind, which I knew she did. "He has no power over me!"

I am frozen with her gaze and my own fear as I see Carly come closer to me and she kisses my lips gently. Her lips are cold…so cold I want to push her away but I can't. "She tells me your blood is powerful and I can smell it. I will feast on your blood, girl…every drop of it." I knew then that she was not Carly as she opened her mouth and her fangs grew. Not two but four…she had four fangs like an animal…or a demon from hell for surely that was what she was. The Mother of Darkness…Lilith…was not vampire…she was more much more.

I could not move as she came closer to my neck and I could not longer scream. Lilith runs her tongue over the pulse in my neck and all I can do is wait…wait for her to bite me and make me one of them.

"Leave her alone!" I hear a voice in the room and Lilith's head snaps up and her face…Carly's face…is twisted in anger. I take a deep breath and find that I can move and I do. I crawl to my bed, not trusting my legs, and grab my gun as I look around the room for my savior but I don't see anyone else.

"Go! You are not supposed to be here! You are asleep…I made you sleep as I took your body!" I hear Lilith scream out. I fire my gun and two bullets hit her in the head…or I thought they did but they just pass right through her. She turns to me and I see her eyes are now a pale blue that hold no life and appear to be soulless.

"Stupid, bitch, you cannot kill me in your dreams! You have power…and ancient power that I know and hate but it is nothing compared to mine!" She screams at me as she walks slowly to me in Carly's body.

"No! I am wake now Lilith…you cannot have my body anymore!" I hear the voice again and I recognize it as Carly's.

Lilith stops and turns to the sound of the voice. "I will deal with you later!" She says and suddenly she collapses to the floor and I see a dark mist rise above the body and vanish.

I crawl to Carly and take her head in my hands and brush her hair out of her face. She looks at me and gives me a weak smile, "I am sorry, Sam, she gains more control over me everyday. I am sorry."

"Shh…it's ok, Carly…shh." I whisper as I brush her hair back.

"No, Sam, you must find me…you must kill me before she claims me and comes after you…please, Sam…please destroy me."

"I…I…I can't, Carly, I…I can't…please." I cry as I bury my head to her chest.

"Yes, Sam you must." She tells me. "Find me, Sam, find me and destroy me before it is too late." Carly grabs my hand and places something in it, "Take this…wear it along with your cross. The cross cannot hold her but this can." With that Carly vanishes quickly.

I wake up and scream as I hear my phone ring. Mei wakes up when she hears me and places an arm around me.

"Sam…God, Sam, you are dripping with sweat. What happened?" She asks me but I ignore her and grab the phone. As I reach for the phone I notice an object in my hand. I glance at it as I grab the phone with my other hand.

"H…h…hello?" I manage to say. My throat hurts and my voice sounds rough.

"Sam, its Stan. We got another one and I need you to come look at it." I hear the detective's voice say in a business like manner.

I swallow hard, "Yeah…ok…umm…same as the others?" I take a deep breath. After my dream/nightmare looking at a mutilated body would be easy.

"No…different and not related to the other case…this ones a vampire…as in the victim is a vampire."

"Shit!" I mutter. "Ok…where are you?" Hell tells me and I hang up the phone.

Mei sits up on the bed next to me and puts her arm around me again. "Hey, baby, you ok?"

I look at her, "You…you don't remember anything?"

Mei gives me a grin, "Well…yeah I remember a lot before we went to sleep…very wonderful memories."

I smile at her, "I just had a bad dream." I kiss her cheek, "Go back to sleep. I have to go…police business."

Mei frowns, "Ok, Sam…I'll have breakfast for you when you come back."

I nod my head and get up to get dressed and then remembered I had something in my hand. I open my hand and look down. What Carly gave me was a round smooth flat stone with an image carved in it and there was a hole through on of the edges. The image was of some type of bird that was flying out of an egg made of fire toward what appeared to be sun rays. At the top of the sunrays was an eye. Just one large eye looking at the bird and on the other side was writing in a language I did not know…of course I was no expert on ruins and ancient languages. And it was ancient…that I could tell. The stone looked old and worn but the images were clear and looked newly carved. I ran my thumb over the stone and shiver as I felt power flow from it. It was a nice feeling…pleasant and warm. I had no idea what it was but I liked the feeling it gave me and if Carly told me it would help keep that bitch away from me I was damn sure going to keep it. I slip off my cross, unclasp the chain, slip the chain through the hole, and put the chain back around my neck.

I glance back at Mei and she gives me a curious look and I just smile at her and bend down and kiss her lips. "Go back to sleep, baby." I whisper. I was glad she had no memories of what happened in my dream. She yawns and smiles at me as she pulls the blankets over her body and curls up.

I get dressed in black jeans, a vintage concert tee shirt of the Beatles, my black converse high tops, and put my holster on. I check the 9mm Browning Practical's ammo clip and notice no rounds had been fired. "Damn" I say under my breath, "I'm getting real tired of these vampires metaphysic shit!" I shake my head and wonder how can Carly give me something in my dream or not dream and it cross over but when I do something in the dream it is not real…or was it. Fuck…questions to be answered later I guess…I had a murder scene to get to.


End file.
